Jill and Karen are both interesting and fun women but they respond to life’s challenges in very different ways.
Jill sees every little thing as a catastrophe (the worst thing that could happen). As a result, her face becomes flushed, she clenches her fists and the veins on her neck pop out – most of all, her blood pressure soars! It may just be that the kids have on mismatching clothes or her husband forgets something on the grocery list – regardless, Jill rages over every little thing.
Jill’s thinking looks something like this:
Problem: the paint color doesn’t match the swatch.
Her Assessment/how she sees it:
The thing is, Jill has personalized her thoughts and feels attacked. Her thiking that everything is a catastrophe makes Jill feel fearful. These constant thoughts will switch on a branch of her nervous system that increases her heart rate and blood pressure.
Karen’s thinking looks something like this:
Problem: the paint color doesn’t match the swatch.
Her Assessment/how she sees it:
- Yes, it’s frustrating (admit the obvious)
- Is it something I can change or will it be like this forever (is it a catastrophe)
- How can I make it work (seek a solution)
Karen asks herself if the current problem is truly a catastrophe; just about every day. Her answer helps to regulate her emotions and this puts less strain on her heart.
If you think that heart issues are only about diet, exercise and cholesterol, think again…
How you think about your daily challenges can have a negative effect on your heart.
Ask yourself…is this a catastrophe?
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