During our Level 3 workshops with frontline staff, I ask at the commencement "Do we learn from our past?" Some say yes, some say no, others just shrug. Like most things, it depends. Many of us have had things happen to us, have been in a situation we would rather forget, or may have done something we regret.
When negative things happen to us, we have an emotional reaction that produces cortisol. Cortisol affects almost every organ in our body, its purpose is to regulate our stress responses. It keeps us on high alert until the 'danger' has passed.
This evolutionary process places a marker on our memory. The greater the danger, the higher the emotion, the greater our stress response, the stronger the marker. The markers become a reference point in our memory to remind us of the danger that we faced to keep us safe from harm in the future.
Memories are formed because of the emotional reaction we have at the time of the event - the stronger the emotion, the stronger the memory. Chances are, after we faced a negative event, if we never spoke with anyone about what occurred our memory of the event will remain strong.
Additionally, we will not learn as much as we hoped when cortisol is released because we are in a heightened state. We learn more of how to deal with negative events when we are less 'stressed' from the positive hormone, dopamine. Sure, we will learn not to climb a ladder that was unsecured if we have fallen from it previously, but we may now be reluctant to ever climb a ladder again.
You may have read a previous post where we discussed the way to halt catastrophising, (ourselves talking to ourself about ourself by automatically searching our memory of markers), is to talk, write, and read. These three things ensure that we get our problems out of our head, we express how we feel (emotions must come out), and we compare experiences. This helps to reduce the negative impact on our memory, it disarms them.
The first step in reducing the impact of a negative event is to control our breathing when the incident occurs and immediately afterwards. Fully breathing out slows our heart rate which reduces the stress response.
Having a debrief after an incident is highly recommended to further reduce the negative impact. There are three forms of debrief - a hot debrief which is completed immediately after the incident, a formal debrief is held when we are in a less emotional state, and a psychological debrief is to assist in processing what has occurred.
All forms of debrief involve talking. When we talk, we further reduce the strength of the marker on our memory through the release of the positive hormone, oxytocin. Oxytocin is often termed the love hormone, yet it is more than that, it is about the human bonding process. Oxytocin is released when we talk with someone in a deep and meaningful conversation. Oxytocin helps to dissolve cortisol.
Following the talk, we should then write about the event. In a work setting this would equate to completing a safety report, for a personal event this involves journaling. As we write we go back into our memory, open it up, examine it, explain it, and continue to reduce the impact. As we write we learn about what occurred and will feel excited because of dopamine, our reward hormone.
Reading information about how to avoid incidents related to what occurred to us or reading about the experiences of others who have been in a similar situation, provides additional information and context to process or thoughts in a rational manner. It helps give our thoughts a rational perspective.
This is the part where we learn from events - going back and examining them in a controlled manner - to change our perception.
Another positive hormone we can use to negate the impact of an event is endorphins which are produced when we exercise. Endorphins numb pain. Additionally, as we exercise, we will burn off cortisol.
If you experience a negative event - talk about it, write about it, read about it, then exercise. If it is a past event, nothing changes, do the same things in this order. Emotions have to come out, they must come out, and they will come out, eventually. Manage them sooner rather than later.
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