Ozone Wellness

03/11/2020

21/10/2020

This is a really good explanation of the stress response in the body. If you are chronically stressed, can’t sleep, can’t function, have suffered trauma or been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety disorder, please do not hesitate to contact me for TRE. I am an Advanced TRE Provider with 7 yrs experience, read my recovery story at http://www.ozonewellness.co.za/tre/

For anyone who'd like to understand a bit more about their autonomic nervous system and stress responses, I created this little graphic.

Our nervous system is constantly scanning the environment for signs of safety and danger, with the aim of setting responses in motion to keep us safe (alive!).

🥰 When we are sensing safety, we are there in the centre, feeling calm and connected. Our ventral vagal nerve complex, which is responsible for social engagement, is switched on.

The ventral vagal also acts as a kind of container for the other branches of the nervous system (sympathetic and dorsal vagal), helping to keep us on track with a gentle up and down rhythm (“homeostasis”).

Sometimes we’ll be more active, like when we're playing, dancing, or vacuuming. These things take a bit of activation from the sympathetic nervous system, to give us the energy to move.

Other times, we'll be more still, like when we are cuddling, relaxing, resting or meditating, and these things involve a little bit of activation of the dorsal vagal nerve complex so that we can remain still.

But all the while, when our ventral vagal is activated, we're feeling safe, we're feeling good, like "we've got this".

😡 When our amydgala unconsciously perceives a threat (via "neuroception") in our environment (e.g. an alarm going off), relationships (e.g. our child crying, our partner snapping at us), or internally (e.g. a worrying thought, an uncomfortable sensation) our sympathetic nervous system automatically becomes activated.

It triggers a release of adrenaline and cortisol, and we feel the energy in our body rising, preparing us for movement (mobilization), in an attempt to keep us safe from the perceived threat.

We might be compelled to use that energy to run away from the threat, escaping from the situation (“flight”). Or if that is not likely to be successful, we may experience an urge to lash out verbally or physically to confront the threat (“fight”).

Either way, the situation will feel “urgent”, like we need to resolve it immediately.

🥶 If these responses don't help to resolve the threat, our nervous system can have so much sympathetic activation that it is overwhelming, and our dorsal vagal nerve complex will kick in to shut it down.

Its purpose is to make us more still (immobilized) in an attempt to help us survive the threat, and then allow us to get back to fighting or fleeing.

We might “fawn”, where our self expression will be “toned down”. We might unconsciously do or say things that are not true to ourselves, in order to make us appear less threatening to the aggressor, and therefore more safe.

And if that doesn't work, we might go into “freeze”, where we still have quite a lot of sympathetic activation, but our movement is very limited. At the very least, in this state we will be numb, no longer feeling the emotional or physical pain of an attack.

Finally, if the dorsal vagal is jammed on with no sympathetic activation, we can collapse or “flop”, which is an attempt to keep us safe by feigning death.

꩜ We are not designed to stay in any of these stress responses for very long. Ideally, once the danger has passed, our nervous system returns (back along the spiral) to a safe state fairly quickly.

꩜ Those of us who have experienced chronic stress or trauma are more prone both to sensing threat and reaching the point of overwhelm. We also tend to get “stuck” in the different protective states.

꩜ The further we get in the stress response (the spiral outwards), the further away we become from feeling connected to our body and our authentic self. We can become so mobilized that we are out of control, or so immobilized that we dissociate or collapse.

꩜ I've found that just tracking where we are in the spiral throughout our day can be helpful. Knowing that these states happen unconsciously and automatically in the service of helping us to survive, rather than by choice, can also help us to feel more compassion for ourselves (and others).

꩜ What can help even more is to get intimate with our own nervous system, to explore what triggers us into these protective states and what resources can help us to return to a sense safety, and to keep building the “muscle” that brings us back to our centre.

🥰 These are some of the things that Angela Hill of Kinnect and I will be covering in our program, Rewire Through Regulation and Repair, while offering a safe and supportive environment in which to practice together.

We'll be running our next round in October 2020, and you can find more information and sign up to be notified of future rounds on our website rewireforparenting.com.

🤔 The information presented is based on Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory, and is my take on Deb Dana's "Polyvagal Ladder". However, Fawn is not an explicitly recognised state in Porges' work.

21/10/2020

18/10/2020

"It is important to reflect upon the fact that the need for co-regulation never goes away in any of our lives. Think about the last time you had a crisis in your life and were helped by another calmer human brain that provided you with a soothing presence and felt a sense of safety because of your relationship with this person."

Lori Desautels & Michael McKnight

18/10/2020

These three steps are simple yet hard, but will save your relationships and mental health. If you make a deliberate and intentional effort to practice these steps whenever opportunities arise, you will make them an automatic habit. It just takes 63 days to build a strong neural network (habit)!

For more tips and strategies like these be sure to order my new book 101 Ways to Be Less Stressed (our Dec 2020). This book makes a great gift for the holidays or just for yourself! Get yours here: https://drleaf.com/collections/all/products/101-ways-to-be-less-stressed

Also available on Amazon and wherever books are sold!

17/10/2020

When you’re feeling intense “ugly” emotions it’s hard to bring back some control and work through the emotions. One thing I always recommend (and it’s not easy but so effective!) is to ask yourself: what can I learn from this?

This simple question will make the biggest difference for your mental health and mind!

**For more tips like this be sure to get my new book 101 Ways to Be Less Stressed out Dec 2020: https://drleaf.com/collections/all/products/101-ways-to-be-less-stressed

17/10/2020

Think back to the last time you had a real, hearty laugh: mouth in a wide smile, eyes crinkled and tearing, breath leaving your body in short bursts if you could get any breath out at all. For humans, there are few more pleasurable experiences or greater expressions of as . We use laughter as an expression of personality, as well as a communication tool. Laughter starts in infancy, and we have been giggling for our whole lives since.

It will come as no surprise that an action as complex, varied, and meaningful as laughter is not limited to a single region of the . Researchers have, however, made efforts to understand the range of areas that are involved.

One study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, used MRI scans to investigate which regions of the brain were at work. They split participants into three groups: the first group was tickled on the sole of the foot and given permission to laugh, the second group was tickled but told to suppress their laughter, and the final group was asked to laugh voluntarily without being tickled.

In the brains of the first group – participants of which were laughing genuinely – certain regions were activated more consistently when compared with the other two groups.
These were:
•Lateral hypothalamus – involved in an array of processes, such as promoting arousal and feeding behavior, reducing pain perception, digestive functions, and blood pressure
•Parietal operculum – partly responsible for processing senses, such as touch and temperature
•Amygdala – involved in processing memories, making decisions, and emotional reactions
•Right cerebellum – important in visual attention, language, and imagining the states of others.

In this study, they also measured activation of the periaqueductal gray matter during voluntary and involuntary laughter, but not when laughter was prevented. Interestingly, periaqueductal gray matter is known to play a role in analgesia. In fact, the region is a target for brain-stimulating implants to treat patients with chronic pain.
During laughter, regions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex are activated, releasing endorphins – which are famed for decreasing pain and increasing euphoria.
Involvement of the hippocampus and amygdala are also worthy of note; these are part of the limbic system, an ancient section of the brain involved in the control of deep-seated emotions, feeding, and other survival-critical roles.

The Benefits of Laughter

Although laughter is not generally under voluntary control, it has numerous health benefits. Bouts of laughter can boost the immune system, relax muscles, aid circulation, and protect against heart disease. It can abet mental health, too; laughter can lower anxiety, release tension, improve mood, and foster resilience.

😂 Reduces Stress Hormones.
Laughter has been shown to reduce the levels of certain stress hormones in the body. Although some of these chemicals are necessary for the body in certain situations, high levels without useful application can cause an imbalance in homeostasis and can have a behavioral impact. These are called immunosuppressant hormones and can have a harmful effect on the immune system. By lessening the presence and production of these stress hormones through “mirthful activity” (like laughing), the overall health and well being of a person can be improved.

😂 Increases Health-enhancing Hormones.
On the positive side of hormonal impact, laughter can also increase the number of beneficial hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters in the body. By increasing the level of endorphins in the body, studies have shown that a subject's threshold for pain is increased, making laughter, in a sense, a painkiller or a pain dampener. Endorphins attach to the same receptors in our brain as opiates, making the release of endorphins like a drug experience without the negative side effects, along with easing mood, tension, anger, and pain. An increase in neurotransmitters means that your brain is able to function faster, make connections more rapidly, and comprehend situations and problems at a higher rate.

😂 Boosts Immune System.
Laughter can even go so far as to help you stay healthy. It has been widely studied that laughter can stimulate antibody cells to develop at faster rates by changing the body's chemistry through hormonal shifts. This increase in antibodies means that the body is able to fight off illness and infection easier. T-Cells are a type of white blood cells known as lymphocytes. Studies have shown that the efficiency of T-cells is actually increased in a subject who regularly laughs and adds those hormonal advantages to their overall system.

😂 Natural Exercise.
Aside from the internal benefits of laughter, it can also be a natural way to exercise various muscle groups in your body. When you engage in laughter, whether it is a giggle or a guffaw, muscles are used to create that movement. The old adage that it “takes more muscles to frown than to smile” is somewhat true, unless you are laughing while smiling. Laughter engages the body's diaphragm and abdominal muscle systems during that repetitive expanding and contracting that often happens when laughing for an extended period of time. This is why our sides or stomach hurt slightly after long bouts of laughter.
The facial muscles are also exercised, the same as they would be when singing or enunciating strongly. Depending on your laughing style, and how physically engaged you become, you can work out your legs, back, shoulders, and arm muscles as well.

😂 Complementary Cancer Therapy.
While studies are needed to show the direct positive impact of laughter in cancer treatment, Dr. William B. Strean, University of Alberta found that a number of cancer survivors have used humor as a complementary therapy. Since laughter is linked to improving natural killer cell activity, it can help increase disease resistance and decreased morbidity in those with cancer or other chronic diseases (Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine 2003).

😂 Regulates Blood Pressure.
For anyone with high blood pressure, try to laugh more and watch your blood pressure decrease. Studies have shown that “mirthful laughter” causes an initial increase in arterial blood pressure due to the physical act of laughing, but that rise is followed by a decrease to below the normal resting blood pressure. This is further proof that laughter does indeed improve circulation and can reduce blood pressure, which is one of the major causes of heart disease and cardiac issues for many people.

😂 Increases Blood Oxygenation.
The process of laughter causes us to use our respiratory system very quickly and strenuously for a short amount of time. This intense activity stimulates an increase in the blood flow as the heart rate increases temporarily, thus increasing the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain. Increased oxygen levels in the brain promote healthier brain function, as oxygen is integral to brain health. Additionally, the pulmonary activity gets a boost from laughter as well, because there is a higher level of ventilation of the lungs during robust episodes of “mirthful laughter”

😂 Improves Memory.
Along with the improved brain function that laughter can provide, it can also work to improve memory in a different way. The connections and associations that the brain forms while “learning” can be widened and made more complex by combining basic learning with an emotional response like laughter or humor. Varying the levels of association with different parts of our brain (pleasure, amusement, logic, reason, etc.) remembering facts and recalling details is easier because there are more linkages present in our memory.

😂 Enhances Mood.
Studies have shown that the simple act of laughing or smiling can improve the mood and happiness levels in subjects versus other activities. Laughter has been found to have an analgesic quality that reduces even unconscious pain, causing an improvement in mood. Even forced laughter, without a normally humorous stimulus, works to improve mood. Therefore, even if you don't have anything funny to laugh about, it will probably put you in a better mood just to participate in the physical act of laughter. Your brain does not actually register whether the stimulus is genuine or not, since people often find unusual things funny, or laughing at inappropriate times. Research suggests that good mood may lead to a greater preference for healthy foods overindulgent foods.

😂 Promotes Creativity.
Laughter has a large number of effects on the chemical processes in the body, and the combination of reduced stress hormones, increased endorphins, and increased oxygenation to the blood and brain caused an increase in creativity in test subjects who laugh often. By improving overall brain health and bolstering its natural support system, both hemispheres can work together more efficiently so creativity has a place to foster and grow.

How to bring more laughter into your life.

Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life.
Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with exercising, and build from there. Eventually, you'll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything.
Here are some ways to start:

Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter, and like laughter, it's contagious. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling. Instead of looking down at your phone, look up and smile at people you pass in the street, the person serving you a morning coffee, or the co-workers you share an elevator with. Notice the effect on others.

Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the positive aspects of your life will distance you from negative thoughts that block humor and laughter. When you're in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to reach humor and laughter.

When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What's funny?”

Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily–both at themselves and at life's absurdities–and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious. Even if you don't consider yourself a lighthearted, humorous person, you can still seek out people who like to laugh and make others laugh. Every comedian appreciates an audience.

Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What's the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”

The ability to laugh, play, and have fun not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and think more creatively. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships. As laughter, humor, and play become integrated into your life, your creativity will flourish and new opportunities for laughing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Laughter takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, and joyful perspective.

So go ahead; take the time out of your busy day to recall your funny memories with friends over a (Zoom) lunch and get in a few social bond-inducing, stress relieving belly laughs.

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/25/916997530/laughter-the-best-medicine

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm

https://neuwritesd.org/2018/08/23/the-neuroscience-of-laughter/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/health-benefits-of-laughter.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/laughter -benefits-of-laughter

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315290 -neuroscience-of-laughter