Stay Calm

Even when it is scary.  Especially when it is scary.  Stay calm.

I hate unpleasant surprises.  I know---nobody likes them.  But I truly hate them.  I mean I actively try to guard against them.  I take actions to ensure they won't crop up: Double-checking insurance coverage, banking account balances, and if the knobs are in “off” position on the stove.

Back in November of 2003 I found myself in a panic. My husband's source of income stopped abruptly.  I worked part-time just to supplement what he made.  The announcement that his income was ceasing caused me to, initially, freak out. It was then that a wise and beautiful angel administered to my mental and emotional woes.

Barbara, an RN where I worked told me, "This is precisely the time to *not* panic!"

I thought she'd lost her damn mind.  To me, this was, incidentally PRECISELY the time to freak out.

But she was right.  When you panic you lose your mind.  Or at least some of its functionality.  If you're aiming to dumb yourself down, panicking is the right course of action.

Sometimes it is a knee-jerk reaction.  When I lose something I tend to flip out initially.  "Where is it? Where could it be? How could I lose it?"  But I never find what I'm looking for until I pray to St. Anthony.  Maybe it is just the act, though, of calming down enough to pray that gets me thinking in an orderly fashion.

Well all of this was fun to think about but I didn't have any real research to back up my "findings" until now.  The Institute of HeartMath is distributing a publication titled, "The Inside Story: Understanding the power of feelings," and on page 25 it states:

"Positive feelings and smooth, even heart rhythms, however, facilitate or improve the brain's ability to process information...." and "This means that our physical reflexes are faster and we can think more clearly.  We can see more options and solutions to problems and situations than we could before."

It is scientifically proven that the popular-again maxim to "keep calm and carry on" is truly timeless, solid advice.

 Now is not the time to lose your shit.