Zen

We hear the word “Zen” thrown around a lot these days. In fact, it’s used in so many different contexts, it may have begun to lose its original meaning. I turned to my friend Wikipedia for a definition.

The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word “Chan”, which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word “dhyana” which can be approximately translated as “contemplation”, “absorption”, or “meditative state”.

Nowadays, when we hear the word “Zen”, it usually is used to represent a state of calmness, serenity or simplicity in everyday life.

I don’t practice Buddhism, Hinduism, or any of the other “isms” that focus on transcendentalism or the inner self, but I practice calmness all the time, especially when things are hectic or I feel myself starting to become anxious.

We all have times in our lives that appear to be overwhelming. We have so much to do, there’s so much pressure, we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. When that occurs, our bodies begin to release adrenaline and cortisol. These can increase heart rate, increase blood sugar levels, sharpen focus, or trigger our “fight or flight” reflexes.

I’ve talked about “fight or flight” reflexes before in my blogs. That occurs when our mind determines we have only two choices when facing a dangerous or challenging situation. We can either face the challenge head-on or we can flee from it.

As I learned one day while walking my dogs, when the “fight or flight” reflex is triggered in someone with Myasthenia Gravis, it can result in an inability to physically function. When my dogs were reacting to the threat of another dog displaying aggressive behavior, my legs suddenly collapsed underneath me and I found myself falling onto the concrete in the middle of the street.

As my doctor explained to me, although adrenaline released during a “fight or flight” response can briefly enhance muscle strength (like the stories we read where people lift a car off of someone who is trapped), the underlying neuromuscular transmission defect in Myasthenia Gravis means you may instead find yourself suddenly unable to move or even collapsing. This could result in falling or could actually trigger a myasthenic crisis.

In other words, “fight or flight” can create an altogether different challenge for those of us with MG.

So, how do we deal with “fight or flight”? Unfortunately, if danger is imminent and “fight or flight” has already been triggered, there’s not much we can do. We just need to be aware it could happen and, if possible, try to avoid those kinds of situations. In my case, I avoid walking my dogs during times when most other people are out walking their dogs. In addition I remain situationally aware of my surroundings. If I see someone walking a dog, I take a different route with my dogs to avoid them.

Of course, not all challenging situations immediately trigger “fight or flight”. Some trigger anxiety. If we find ourselves in a situation where we feel our anxiety level beginning to increase, then that’s a great time for us to practice Zen (calmness techniques).

I talked about one of those techniques in a previous blog and it’s one I use all the time. It’s called the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. When I begin to feel anxious about something, I look around for 5 things, then 4 things, then 3 things and so on. For example, I may look for 5 different colors in things around me, followed by 4 different makes of cars, followed by 3 different types of plants, followed by 2 different types of birds, followed by 1 stop sign. Keeping my mind busy looking for these items helps me get my mind off whatever it was that was causing me stress. If the first time doesn’t work, I try again with different objects.

I’m not saying the 5-4-3-2-1 technique will work for everybody. I’m just saying it works for me. You’ll have to discover your own techniques. The key is to refocus your mind from thinking about the stressors to thinking about mundane things that don’t pose any threats.

It’s always a good idea to discuss “fight or flight” with your doctor. That way you’ll be ready for it if it ever happens to you. Your doctor may be able to provide some additional helpful advice or techniques.

Just like with MG, don’t let anxiety control you. Instead, learn how to control it.

With that said, I hope you have a day filled with Zen, the calm and serene type.