At this time of divisiveness and tension around the election, I find I have to reflect on what happens afterwards.  I am writing this prior to the election, so I don’t have the knowledge of the results, but I have come upon a strategy that I think will get me through ordeal.  No matter who wins the Presidency, I will have plenty to eat (too much sometimes), a warm bed to sleep in, a pleasant and safe city to live in, a country that won’t have a revolution (I hope).  I will still have my wife, my family, my friends, my church and my Rotary club. I don’t think I’ll lose all of my money, either. Reciting these blessings is getting me through this anxious time. 

 

Not only for mental health, but also for physical health, it is important to avoid chronic stress.  If I were to come face to face with a lioness and her cubs, I would have every reason to be ready for “fight or flight.”  During this time my brain and body would release hormones and chemicals that would increase my blood pressure and heart rate, release cortisone and other hormones that would have an effect on my body.  But once the threat was gone, these bodily reactions would return to normal.  However, in the modern world we are seldom confronted with dangerous short term physical threats.  What we do is process unpleasant information and often keep obsessing about it.  This results in chronic stress which can have a deleterious effect on our brains and body contributed to chronic illness such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.   A few years ago, former UNL psychologist Dick Dienstbier discussed the harmful effect of chronic stress on the aging process at our club.  So, if we want to prolong our lives we need to think of our blessings and realize that the world won’t come to an end. It may be good for your health.

Chuck