EMOTIONAL BRAIN TRAINING-How to overcome and outsmart the fears, stress, and negative emotions of COVID-19 pandemic?

 The year 2020 has been a bad year for everyone. Coronavirus pandemic hit the world last December and has been ongoing now for the past one year. Now 2020 is ending but the pandemic has not shown any signs of regression. Some places are getting better but at some other places, second and third waves of the virus are happening. But vaccines are in and a new year 2021 is coming by! Now people would like to put the stress of the whole nightmare behind and start looking forward to the new year 2021! But despite wanting to be stress-free, things have yet to get better adequate enough to feel good at heart! But one can now consciously try to overcome the concerns and worries amidst the covid-19 fears! How to do it? Read on for a solution! 

Stress and its negative impact on health

Stress and fears are awful things in life. Almost everyone has suffered these negative emotions in their lives. But humans are programmed at their genetic level to be hyperaware of any dangers or threats in the surroundings and react to it. This reaction is that of fear and increased sympathetic activity for either fight or a flight. Increased secretion of catecholamines and other stress chemicals occurs. 

Negative emotions [Source: Ceibs]

This chemical cascade of stress hormones in the body and the negative emotions impairs normal cognition and thinking of a human being. The self-control is lost and goal-direction is minimized. Thus this is harmful to the person. We tend to avoid overcoming these fears and concerns and their cycle continues. This is detrimental for brain and heart health. 

Traditional methods of overcoming stress

The older methods to overcome stress are cognitive-behavioral therapy. In this, the person is told to modify his or her thinking and cognitive ability so that fear can be overcome.  

CBT [Source: Pinterest]

Researchers at New York University discovered that these methods are good for low-stress conditions. But when there is a heightened stress state, these methods fail. So what would help in these high-stress situations? It is called Emotional Brain Training. It helps to tame the brain and release negative emotions. How is it done? In this, anger is used. Let us understand it. 

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Emotional Brain Training

Normally, when there is any negative emotion, there is avoidance and passivity associated with it. Only anger is the negative emotion that requires an action to overcome it. Studies have shown that suppressing anger leads to suppression. Suppressing anger does not overcome it. Hence anger has to be released in a healthy way in order to reduce its harmful effects on the body. 

Emotional Brain Training [Source: Pinterest]

The negative emotions should not remain in the body and become chronic and toxic. They should be released out. This is done with a controlled burst of anger. This aids the brain to get better emotional control. After this initial burst of anger, other feelings can pour out. One can say...I am angry that....I am sad that....I am afraid that....

Later, express and boost the positive feelings after the negative have drained out of the body. And say I feel grateful that...I feel thankful that...I feel happy that...I feel secure that...These then give a brake to the negativities and switches to the parasympathetic system. Memories become more active now. 

This method can help elevate mood and feel better. It is drug-free and natural and hence safe. Do not let COVID-19 fears overcome you and consume you. Fight it back with this emotional brain training!!!