Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Basics - Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop - NYTimes.com

Basics - Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop - NYTimes.com: "Robert Sapolsky, a neurobiologist who studies stress at Stanford University School of Medicine, said, “This is a great model for understanding why we end up in a rut, and then dig ourselves deeper and deeper into that rut.”

The truth is, Dr. Sapolsky said, “we’re lousy at recognizing when our normal coping mechanisms aren’t working. Our response is usually to do it five times more, instead of thinking, maybe it’s time to try something new.”"

This is something important to be consciously aware of.

We've all done or seen people just keeping doing things that are just plain not working for them or anyone else and wonder why they don't do something else.
I've been there pushing the food bar and ignoring the food. I've worked jobs that had no reward and only punishment. I've had coworkers ask me how I do it without crying and I can only reply that I have no more tears, no more feelings.

Last year I helped an acquaintance move, the house they were renting was being foreclosed on, he had lost his job and had gotten an awful job that didn't come close to replacing the income, the stress level in that home was terrible. A lot of people complained that they weren't ready for the move, I think that they had forgotten how. I know I had for a while.

Fortunately, it looks like it is reversible, but who can take 4 weeks off in a supportive environment.

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