Peaceful Holidays: Shifting out of Flight, Fight, or Freeze
Written by Dr. Suzanne Tang
December 1st, 2023
2023 sure has been a wild year of change, grief, and unpredictability. Despite the challenges, with trust and allowing, I am able to move through and grow from these moments with much more peace and ease. This is not an easy feat for a recovering perfectionist and worrier. Yet, remembering and returning to my practice of Trust and Surrender to my higher Self, rather than my limited and fearful little self, never steers me down the wrong path. I have definitely gone down the rabbit hole of fear and lack many times, which are poignant, albeit painful lessons. This anxiety-filled rabbit hole excursion allows for continued learning and growth, so that I may find my way back from fear and confusion to peace and clarity. In peace and clarity, I can truly be in my purpose and hold light and love for myself, my family, friends, and patients.
When there is a trigger, or perceived “threat”, this creates a great deal of stress and inner turmoil. The body goes into the sympathetic state known as fight, flight, or freeze. Flight, fight, or freeze response is meant to keep us “safe” but unfortunately keeps us stuck and operating from a stressful survival and self-preservation mode. In this state, the frontal lobe, or the higher Self part of your brain, the seat of compassion, empathy, and healthy discernment shuts down. Instead of pausing and responding from a place of compassion and love, we may react impulsively from a place of hurt, guilt, shame, or poor self-worth.
Deep inquiry is a tool that I use at home and in my work to help connect to one’s Inner Guidance or spiritual GPS to navigate out of the rabbit hole of flight, fight, or freeze. As we move through an often stressful, packed, and festive December, let’s take the time to be still and shift into our parasympathetic state of rest, calm and digest, and reflect on what truly feeds and anchors us, allowing for more trust and peace to cultivate a healthier body, mind, and soul throughout and beyond the holidays.
Here are some questions I often pose to patients stuck in their 'rabbit hole,' particularly during calming craniosacral therapy or esoteric acupuncture sessions, to aid in the shift toward rest, calm, and healing:
What limiting beliefs and thoughts do you need to release that are keeping you stuck?
What relationships and habits are no longer serving you? Are you ready to release them? If not, how come?
If a trigger, obstacle, or difficult situation occurs, what are you being asked to really look at within yourself and heal? Sit with the feelings that are coming up or the story that you continue to tell yourself. Go back to the first time in your life that you felt this way. What was not tended to or nurtured in this initial experience that needs care?
What new thoughts or perspectives would come forth if you were to be held with attention, allowing, acceptance, appreciation, and affection? How would your life be different? Can you hold yourself in loving attention, allowing, acceptance, appreciation, and affection?
What aspirations do you have for your health, relationships, work, spirituality, and leisure?
Stepping out of our comfort zone is uncomfortable, yet the discomfort is fleeting compared to the pain of remaining stagnant. We are destined for all the greatness that the Universe has in store for us. Let the higher Self, rather than the little self, guide the way.
I’ll be here to support you as I continue to break out of my comfort zone as well. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for my adventures, shares, and wellness tips. If you are interested in my story of origin and the obstacles that I grew from, check out my recent interview with LA Voyage Magazine.
Yours in Wellness,
Dr. Suzanne Tang, ND, LAc
