Fighting the Darkness, Part 2

At times, do you find yourself consumed by worry or dread? Does your mind race with all sorts of worst-case scenarios? Do you think this dark season of life might never come to an end?

Dr. Allan Schore, a UCLA neuropsychologist, says that “the inability to down-regulate emotions to rest and up-regulate positive emotions to joy lead to the largest risk of developing mental illness in a lifetime.”

Chris Coursey, in his book Transforming Fellowship: 19 Brain Skills that Build Joyful Community, reminds us that “quieting” is one skill we can learn to lower our energy levels and self-soothe, so we can rest after upsetting emotions before returning to joy. One simple way to rest is to practice soaking in appreciation for 5 minutes a day, as I mentioned a couple weeks ago. Another practice I’ve been working on is to listen to quiet CDs of “grown-up” lullabys filled with simple Scripture refrains (“Hidden in My Heart” vols 1-3) that I listen to early in the morning or late at night to focus my attention on God and quiet my racing thoughts.

And as we learn to quiet ourselves, Coursey reminds us, we can model, inspire, and transmit to others “to stay peaceful and grounded during intense moments and overwhelm.” It’s a skill Jesus transmitted to his disciples fairly often, for instance, when he’d invite his disciples to come away with him to rest.

It’s good for high performers to remember that those who rest and take breaks rather than push themselves harder actually perform better in the long run. . So next time you’re tempted to surf the internet, binge-watch on Netflix, reach for that next beer or a glass of wine, or just keep on working, consider other more-natural ways to quiet yourself and rest.