It’s a perfect setup:
It’s getting dark, the wind’s howling, the leaves are blowing and you’re heading home fast to be there for the kids before they head out to trick or treat. You think back to when you were a kid and how you couldn’t wait till it was Halloween. Dressing up; picking the biggest pillow case for all the “loot”; and rushing out the door in the direction of the neighbor’s house who had all the good chocolate bars…And slammmmmmmmm on the brakes, “What was that?” Your heart’s pumping and the adrenalin’s running full throttle. “Was it a cat? No, it was bigger than a cat. Come on, now. Concentrate; concentrate. Everything’s okay – just get yourself home.”
Now that’s what I call a good scare.
Something unexpected puts you on the defensive and your body reacts as it should – pumping adrenaline and giving you that extra edge to fight or flee. However, when your body is pumping adrenaline constantly because of an ongoing tense home or work situation, then this kind of fight or flight response is not a good scare but a bad one – one that generates personal unhappiness and that leads to health issues down the road if not dealt with.
Listen to your body when it’s talking to you.
That “walking on egg shells” feeling when you’re fearful that what you do or say will provoke a negative response is you in defense mode – you’re SCARED – waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whether it’s a boss, co-worker or family member who’s causing you grief, be aware and take steps to remove yourself from the SCARED dynamic. Your happiness depends on it.
By Kita Szpak, a contributing blogger for JenningsWire.
