What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
No big strategies. Just plain reading of how our brain works. That will do.
I’ve read on the internet that our body has a natural response to both positive and negative thoughts.
Our body secretes a hormone called dopamine when we read or hear good news. India winning the test series against touring Bazball-England should make us happy. So that’s loads of bright bulbs in the brain. No damage.
But, there’s a villain hormone at the same time. It’s called cortisol. It begins to flood the moment when you know you run to work late. And it doubles up in a deluge when you see the traffic on the road is moving too slow.
So our body basically plays both a good and bad cop. The bad guy is noticeably the dominant of the two. It’s tough calming him down.
There are no quick fixes to kill a bad thought, to say honestly. We should see the situation and act accordingly.
Give an example.
Imagine, the traffic is now cleared. You start cruising along. Suddenly, you hear the sirens and an ambulance appears quickly in the rearview. Flashing and asking the right of way. You know clearly there’s someone in need of an emergency.
How would you react? Give way or keep pressing the pedal?
Giving way should naturally be the best way to react. Because you know you should help save a person in trauma. And the law says to give priority to an ambulance.
The same is the case with all negative thoughts put together. When the thought knocks at the door, do one of the following. Without thinking twice.
Just give in.
Walk away.
Drink a glass of water and relax.
Take a cold shower.
Shut down the phone.
Take the dog out for a walk.
Visit a local store and buy some candy.
Feed the fish.
Visit the beach and watch those waves kissing your feet.
Pay the guy at the balloon stall and pick up the gun. Check how good your aim is.
Give no space for negative thoughts. At all.
Till about time your bad cop ‘cortisol’ runs completely empty. Leave no trace of him.
Life is a battle of wits. Keep calm when you win. Laugh whenever you fail.
Keep the good and give the bad cop the kick. On any day.
Be the winner. Always!
"சென்றிடுவீர் எட்டுத் திக்கும்" 