Anxiety resides in 4 spaces:

1. The space inside you
2. The space between you and another
3. The space between others
4. The space inside another.

A powerful de escalation tools is to first locate the anxiety. Where is it?

Often the answer is 'all 4.' Yikes!

1/

Anxiety is contagious, we spread it and escalate it unless we know how to manage it.

This was perhaps my biggest lesson as a trauma chaplain - the very hard work of not catching someone's anxiety.

2/
When I caught it, I was no good to them. I no longer saw what was going on, I was now 'infected' by my own triggers, assumptions, the story I tell myself. I was all wrapped up in myself.

But when I managed my anxiety, I was able to be calm, aware and fully present to them.

3/
Even in the very worst moment of their lives, even if they had me by the shoulders screaming, 'how could God allow this to happen?'

4/
Incidentally, early in chaplaincy, I thought this was an actual question. Because I was anxious, I was more infected by my need to answer than I was to simply be calm and present with them in their pain.

5/
One way to practice anxiety management is to sit with someone in deep pain for a long time without offering a suggestion, advice, help, without relieving them of their anxiety.

Without shrinking their pain down to a size that feels better for you.

!!!

6/
You can also watch anxiety spread between people - between you and others, but also when you walk into a room and already sense a mood.

We have all 'stepped on a mood' when we walk into a room.

In fact one anxiety tool is to learn your impact when you walk into a room.

7/
Especially for people of extra privilege, we don't initially understand our power. (I speak as one: tall, deep voice, white, male, leader, Aussie. Plenty of privilege there.)

To understand my impact can help me manage anxiety.

8/
And to make this a briefer than usual thread, because hey now, it is a beautiful Saturday morning....

the 4th space: the space inside another.

Holy ground. Sacred territory.

Stay Away. Danger, Will Robinson.

9/
Much anxiety is generated when we ruminate on 'why do they do it that way, why don't they think this way?'

That is space inside another. You cannot manage that space. Out of the 4 spaces, that is the space between them and God.

10/
Much initial anxiety can be relieved by asking yourself, 'what is mine to carry, what is God's, what is theirs?'

It gets anxiety back where it belongs.

11/
It helps you carry the 'each day has enough troubles of it owns' anxiety, keeps you from reactivity, rushing in to solve, rescue, 'make people feel better' which is usually impossible.

So 4 spaces. God inhabits all of it.

12/
When we know God is with us, anxiety gets displaced.

Anxiety is displaced by love and laughter.

When do you feel most fully loved?

God is not only with you, but ahead of you.

That meeting you're walking into. You are walking into the active presence of God.

13/
It is not all on you, in spite of what Anxiety tells you. God is with you and ahead of you.

When in your life do you feel most fully loved?

What if you could answer that question with dozens of examples, not just one or two?

Peace this beautiful Saturday.

14/14

More from Steve Cuss

More from Health

I think @SamAdlerBell in his quest to be the contrarian on Fauci gets several things wrong here. 1/


First, the failure last year actually was driven by the White House, the #Trump inner circle. Watch what's happening now, the US' scientific and public health infrastructure is creaking back to life. 2/

I think Sam underestimates the decimation of many of our health agencies over the past four years and the establishment of ideological control over them during the pandemic. 3/

I also am puzzled why Tony gets the blame for not speaking up, etc. Robert Redfield, Brett Giroir, Deb Birx, Jerome Adams, Alex Azar all could have done the same. 4/

Several of these people Bob Redfield, Brett Giroir, Alex Azar were led by craven ambition, Jerome Adams by cowardice, but I do think Deb Birx and Tony tried as institutionalists, insiders to make a difference. 5/
Thread on how atheism leads to mental retardation (backed with medical citations🧵💉)

To start with, atheism is an unnatural self-contradicting doctrine.

Medical terminology proves that human beings are naturally pre-disposed to believe in God. Oxford scientists assert that people are "born believers".

https://t.co/kE0Fi588yn
https://t.co/OqyXcGIMJn


It should be known that atheism could never produce an intelligently-functioning society and neither ever will.

Contrastingly, Islam produced several intellectuals & polymaths, was on the forefront of scientific development, boasting 100% literacy


It is also scientifically proven that atheism led to lesser scientific curiosity and scientific frauds, which is also why atheists incline to pseudo-science.

Whereas, religion in general and Islam in particular boosted education.

https://t.co/19Onc84u3g


Atheists are also likely to affected by pervasive mental and developmental disorders like high-functioning autism.

Cognitive Scientists and renowned Neurologists found that more atheism is leads to greater autism.

https://t.co/zRjEyFoX3P
I applaud the #EUCancerPlan *BUT* caution: putting #meat 🥩 (a nourishing, evolutionary food) in the same box as 🚬 to solve a contemporary health challenge, would be basing policy on assumptions rather than robust data.

#FollowTheScience yes, but not just part of it!
THREAD👇


1/ Granted, some studies have pointed to ASSOCIATIONS of HIGH intake of red & processed meats with (slightly!) increased colorectal cancer incidence. Also, @WHO/IARC is often mentioned in support (usually hyperbolically so).

But, let’s have a closer look at all this! 🔍


2/ First, meat being “associated” with cancer is very different from stating that meat CAUSES cancer.

Unwarranted use of causal language is widespread in nutritional sciences, posing a systemic problem & undermining credibility.

3/ That’s because observational data are CONFOUNDED (even after statistical adjustment).

Healthy user bias is a major problem. Healthy middle classes are TOLD to eat less red meat (due to historical rather than rational reasons, cf link). So, they

4/ What’s captured here is sociology, not physiology.

Health-focused Westerners eat less red meat, whereas those who don’t adhere to dietary advice tend to have unhealthier lifestyles.

That tells us very little about meat AS SUCH being responsible for disease.

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