You're essentially a closed system
You're outer edge is your skin, or perhaps more accurately, your hair
And your deeper core, if we can use that word outside of the common fitness thinking for a while, is the brain and spinal cord, aka CNS
In between is an the squishy, messy stuff and of course our bones.
How well this closed system operates depends very much on how that CNS views the world.
My kids have discovered "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here"
Which means, I'm watching it with them.
Normally, I don't watch much TV, but I'm enjoying this show, as a social experiment looking into how people manage stress, it's fascinating.
Every person on the show is an example of their perceptions and attitudes determine performance.
It's a great example of how previous experiences shape perceptions and attitudes.
The challenges within the program are safe. Safe but designed to be uncomfortable, to cause stress.
We get to observe how these people deal with this stress.
And as we said, you're a closed system, the stress comes from you, it's your stress.
The challenges, the outside temperature, the peer pressure etc, all these factors are just stimuli.
It's your perception of these stimuli, or how you think about these stimuli.
You could say it's your attitude towards these stimuli that both determines the level of arousal and your reaction to that arousal.
Realising and accepting this can be a bit like taking the red pill.
It's initially uncomfortable
But it opens the door for you to take control and work on your thoughts, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours.
The more you actively seek out discomfort the less it'll disturb you.
The more you experience an acute, high stress stimulus, the less it'll disturb you.
Within reason of course
Like all things, apply the concept of Progressive Resistance Training.
Start small.
Learn and practice the strategies that allow us to both be aware of and to mitigate or bodies stress response.
But remember..
...I can only show you the door, you're the one that has to walk through it
Right, that's enough Matrix quotes for one day
Regards
Dave Hedges
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