Increase resilience for transition #2: Power of the breath in calming the nervous system
What is resilience?
Resilience is a term which is used quite widely, but many people find it difficult to define what resilience actually means. For the purposes of this blog series on increasing resilience for transition, I’ll use this definition of resilience from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:
“an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change”
The Power of the Breath in Calming the Nervous System and increasing resilience
The article ‘The Power of the Breath in Calming the Nervous System‘ explores a simple and effective explanation on how breath calms down our nervous system. The paragraph below provides a great summary of the article:
“Harnessing the power of the breath is something we all can benefit from at any time… we all need to calm the nervous system from time to time. Being mindful of the breath can help a person to deal with everyday stresses that we all inevitably encounter. Simply paying attention to breathing can help us to focus better and, therefore, make us more productive and effective in our lives.”
Why is using breath to calm the nervous system so helpful to increase resilience in transition?
Our ‘fight or flight response’ describes the process when our body is mobilised to respond quickly threats to our safety. However, it also happens in response to stressors in life. Relocating to a new country is typically a very stressful experience. You’re leaving everything you know and everything which is familiar to start over in a new country; one where the culture and language may be dramatically different to your old location. To relocate is to experience a number of stressors over a prolonged period or time, so your nervous system may be in a state of almost-constant activation. In this context, the article has some excellent advice which is very easy to implement:
“When you breathe out slowly and mindfully… your body is able to relax. More blood is directed to the parts of your brain that are involved in problem solving, and you are able to enter the state of social engagement. By connecting to the breath, you are able to be in the moment, becoming more mindful with what is happening now as opposed to engaging in the mental chaos that so often distracts us from what is actually happening around us. By specifically paying attention to exhaling, you are simultaneously calming the body and the mind (van der Kolk, 2012).”
How I can help
Much of my work with families and international schools focuses on developing and maintaining resilience throughout relocation. I offer a range of approaches to best suit individual needs. My options for support for a resilient relocation include my hello/goodbye program, coaching and A New Adventure: Coaching Cards for an International Move.