ManifestingWellBeing.com

Swine Flu . . .just the phrase can evoke fear. People are talking about it almost everywhere. It’s on the news and the person behind you in the grocery check-out line may have mentioned it. Is it a REALITY? Of course. But how much of a threat is it really? Let’s put it into perspective. In the U.S. this week there was 1 death from Swine Flu and 5,769 deaths from obesity.  Interesting isn’t it?

So is it important to be worried about Swine Flu? Certainly it is probably wise to be aware of its presence. But I would challenge the idea that it is necessary to be in a state of worry or fear about Swine Flu. First, one reason not to work yourself into a state of worry about Swine Flu is that this will not help anything. It will not help to decrease the spread of Swine Flu in the least. (Some may argue that worrying about Swine Flu would actually increase the spread of it, due to focusing intently on it – but that discussion would take up an entire post.) Second, from a medical perspective a weaker immune system is more likely to be susceptible to illness. Worry, or fear, can weaken the immune system due to the “fight or flight” response.

The fight or flight prepares our body to fight or run away when faced with a physical or psychological threat. Psychological threats may include situations such as becoming upset by a challenge at work, having an argument at home or worrying about Swine Flu.  Emotional reactions to situations trigger the fight or flight response so that in many individuals it is set off several times a day, and each response often lasts much longer than your body can easily handle. This creates wear and tear on the body. According to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, the end result is that our body is more susceptible to health ailments such as infections, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, depression, insomnia, and memory impairment. So one healthy way to keep our immune system healthy is to avoid worrying by practicing stress reduction.  Finding joy in  life, breathing deeply, meditating, exercising, and getting enough sleep, are a few stress reduction suggestions. We can choose to get swept up in the fear of Swine Flu, or we can choose to remain calm, and likely healthier . . . the choice is ours.

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Deborah Barnett, Ph.D.

www.DeborahBarnett.com

www.WeightLossforWellBeing.com