This year is like no other. It has been hard and tiring. Even if we have been forced to do less – less travel and meetings outside, “grounded” at home - we have had an onslaught of tough news, images, maybe sadness - family and friends caught up with Covid, uncertainty, and loneliness. Our fight/flight 6th sense of “THREAT” (the adrenaline/cortisone system – always switched on) has been in overdrive. There is a need to stop and rest. Gilbert’s compassion theory [1] is helpful. It talks about reducing the stimulus to “THREAT”, and turning on the “DRIVE” system (meaningful role and purpose, intentional rest (dopamine)) and the “SOOTHE” system (love, cuddles, meditation, prayer beauty – nature (oxytocin)). A helpful model of thinking to start a holiday!
I have written four blogs, to look at different aspects of our journey of recovery. We start with rest…
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark 6: 30)
Imagine the apostles high on adrenaline and success. It must have been so exciting to see this new Spirit working though them. You could imagine them champing at the bit to keep going – unaware of how tired and hungry they were, maybe unaware even of the danger of “ego” – that trap of feeling “indispensable”. Jesus saw what they needed. Despite the work, all around them, to preach, teach and heal (Mathew 4:23) Jesus invites them away to a solitary place.
So let us go there too. Turn off the news, stop the emails, and social media. Turn off your phone. Reduce the stimulus to the THREAT system. This early warning system needs a rest. And beware setting targets to achieve. That has been the pressure of the last year. Rest. Do nothing. Let you mind stop. Realise how hurried life is – how hurried we are made to be by society. Sleep. Feel yourself unwinding. Stop multi-tasking. Just concentrate on one thing. Turn on DRIVE and SOOTHE. Look to Jesus. He never hurried. John Mark Comer’s book “the ruthless elimination of Hurry” is excellent…. Happy holidays!
Nigel
[1] Paul Gilbert (2009): Advanced in psychiatric treatment, vol 15, 199-208
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