Thread by @drlouisehansen

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. In a previous thread (attached) we explored the threat system and the self-soothing, or peace system. As noted, when there’s a real life and death danger we freeze, fight, or run away. 1/14

This thread explores four states to help regulate our emotions better. Firstly, lets split the threat system into two categories: Fight/run and freeze. Fight/run go together because they’re both about movement: towards the danger to fight it or to run away. 2/14

The second category is freeze and is about stillness: in the face of danger your response is to freeze in stillness. Both categories include an immediate threat however one is about movement and the other is about stillness. 3/14

Why did I just do that? Did you know there are two opposite states in the self-soothing, or peace system, just like there are in the threat system? They also include movement and stillness except they are for when the present moment is safe. 4/14

The opposite of freeze:

Intimacy - which involves stillness.

The opposite of fight/run:

Play - which involves movement. 5/14

Animals are known to have the healthiest emotion systems on the planet. Why? Intimacy and play. Humans tend to be more cognitive: We think about things more. We learnt in the previous thread (attached) we can time travel with our imagination into the past or future. 6/14

The Great Master said: “If you are depressed, you are in the past. If you are anxious, you are in the future. If you are at peace, you are in the present.” Intimacy and play are incredibly present based states. Both are states that strengthen our wellbeing. 7/14

Intimacy can include: gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, bonding with a loved one(s), connecting to nature, reading, listening to music, etc. Playfulness can include: Hide and seek, basketball, performing arts, cooking, dancing, hiking, exploring, etc. 8/14

I have introduced these four states so you can understand their relationship with one another: Two are for a real danger. Two for when this moment is safe. Both our threat system and our self-soothing, or peace system, allow us to respond with movement or stillness. 9/14

If the opposite of freeze is intimacy and this moment is safe: we can try flip feeling trapped/frozen into intimacy (e.g. “Being thankful, to feel alive, right here, right now). Or, we can try flip wanting to fight/run away into play (e.g. releasing it out on kick boxing). 10/14

Knowing what is what can be so useful since depending on the ship it might be harder to jump from one to the other: It might be easier to flip freeze into intimacy, than freeze into play, because the intensity of arousal for freeze and intimacy is the same (low, low). 11/14

@threadreaderapp please unroll.

Previous thread for more context:

https://twitter.com/drlouisehansen/status/1365326160117178371

Similarly, it might be easier to flip fight/run into play, than fight/run into intimacy, because the intensity of arousal for fight/run and play are the same (high, high). Knowing these relationships help navigate where we are and prevent us from feeling confused or lost. 12/14

When you do feel confused or lost you can ask: Okay, where am I? In my threat system or my self-soothing system? Is there a real danger or is this moment safe? Do I feel trapped or frozen or like fighting/running away? If it is safe, how can I be more intimate or play? 13/14

The answers are a compass to act in the face of danger, or if the moment is safe, have clarity: peace and joy. Each time we are rewiring our brain. We develop stability, clarity, and the ability to regulate our emotions easier, with a deeper sense of connection to life. 14/14