From stress and panic to calm and well-being
We have long lived with the idea that emotions are something that just arise, something that affects us. Stress comes, anxiety grows, panic sets in. And at best, we try to deal with it afterwards.
But when you start to understand what is actually happening in the body and brain, the picture becomes different. Emotions are not just psychological phenomena. They are biological processes. Chemical, neurological and physical. And that is precisely why they can also be influenced.
With relatively simple tools, you can both reduce stress reactions, break panic and actively build more positive emotional states.
The brain needs help to absorb the positive
The brain is not primarily designed to make us happy. It is designed to keep us alive. This means it constantly scans the environment for threats and stores negative experiences quickly and efficiently.
Good experiences, on the other hand, often pass unnoticed in the sense that the brain does not commit them to memory. Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson describes this as negative experiences sticking like Velcro, while positive ones sliding off like Teflon.
But here is an important key: We can help the brain absorb the positive.
For a positive experience to be encoded in our long-term memory, we need to stay with it for about 20 seconds. This gives the brain time to create new neural connections linked to calmness and well-being.
It can be something very small. The feeling of the sun on your skin, something beautiful in nature or a moment of silence. But instead of moving on, you stay. Feeling. Letting the experience take its place in your body. It is in that moment that something happens. New connections in the brain begin to strengthen, connections that over time make it easier to feel calm, secure and satisfied.
Encode positive experiences – here’s how
- The next time something feels good, big or small, don’t do it as usual and move on right away.
Instead, stand up. Notice what you feel in your body. Is it warmth, softness, or stillness?
Try to enhance the feeling by giving it your full attention. Breathe calmly and let the experience take place. Hold it for at least 20 seconds.
It is at that moment that the brain actually begins to register the positive and over time your basic feeling changes more than you might think.
The stress reaction is short – unless you prolong it
When we get stressed, it often feels like it just keeps going on. Like the body is stuck in a rut that never really lets go. But biologically, the stress reaction is usually short-lived.
When something triggers us, the body’s stress system is activated, and heart rate, breathing, and hormones change rapidly. But this chemical reaction is actually meant to be temporary.
Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor describes it as a wave that lasts about 60–90 seconds.
What keeps the stress going are our thoughts. We analyze, worry, and create new scenarios. And each time a new stress reaction starts. That’s how a short biological process can become long-term stress.
The intestinal barrier is not only a physical boundary, but also a central part of the immune system’s regulation. Here the body is trained to distinguish between what is native to the body, what is harmless, and what is a threat.
When permeability increases, the immune system is exposed to substances it should not normally encounter, such as incompletely broken down proteins, gliadin, or bacterial components such as LPS.
One mechanism that is being discussed is so-called molecular mimicry, where structures in these substances resemble the body’s own tissues. When the immune system is activated, the reaction can in some cases also be directed against the body itself.
This does not mean that leaky gut itself causes autoimmune disease, but it may be a contributing factor in a larger context where genetics, environment and lifestyle interact.
These same inflammatory signals can also affect other barriers in the body, not least the blood-brain barrier. When this is affected, it can contribute to symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue and cognitive impairment. Sometimes described as a form of “leaky brain.”
Feeling stressed – what to do
- When you notice a stress reaction or strong emotion coming on, try doing less, not more.
- Stop what is happening. Take a break. Let your body be in the reaction without directly acting on it. Give yourself about 60–90 seconds.
- Meanwhile, shift your attention from your thoughts to your body. Feel your pulse, your breathing, or a tension somewhere. Breathe calmly, preferably with a slightly longer exhalation than inhalation.
- Once the tide has turned, only then, do you decide what you want to do next.
- That’s often where the difference occurs. You go from reacting to choosing.
When the body is allowed to finish – the panic can subside
In times of panic or severe anxiety, the body’s most basic survival system is activated. The body prepares to flee or fight. Energy is quickly mobilized.
But in today’s life, that energy often remains. We don’t fight or flee very often. We sit still. Try to control the situation mentally. And then the activation in the body stops, which intensifies the discomfort.
Psychologist and trauma researcher Peter A. Levine has shown how the body needs to complete its response in order to return to balance. That’s why movement can be so effective.
Panic attack on the way – do this:
- If you feel panic or severe anxiety coming on, get up immediately.
- Start moving your body, jumping in place, shaking your arms and legs, or moving quickly in place. Keep the movement fairly intense for 30–60 seconds. Don’t focus on how it feels right, but on giving your body an outlet.
- Then finish by standing still and breathing calmly, preferably with a slow exhalation.
- Many people find that the intensity of the feeling decreases when the body is allowed to do what it was designed to do: shake or jump off the stress.
What does this mean for your long-term health?
These are more than tools for the moment. They are ways to influence your biology in real time and over time. When you help your brain take in the positive, you strengthen networks linked to calm and security. When you let stress reactions fade, you reduce unnecessary strain on the body’s stress system. And when you use movement to regulate the nervous system, you improve the balance between activation and recovery.
Over time, this can contribute to better stress resilience, lower inflammatory burden, more stable metabolism, and more robust brain function. From a longevity perspective, it becomes clear that how you deal with your emotions affects not only how you feel but also how you age.
References
- Hanson, R. (2013). Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence.
- Bolte Taylor, J. (2006). My Stroke of Insight.
- Levine, P. A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.
