World-wide, levels of stress and anxiety are escalating disproportionally to the lack of real danger in our vicinity. (When you read that sentence, did you notice any resistance to it. A small voice that argued back and presented evidence to the contrary, about the dangers in your country, neighbourhood, or particular situation?) My definition of ‘real danger’ in your environment, is an imminent threat to life, or bodily harm. If there is indeed nothing of significance (death or maiming) to be anxious about, then why are we feeling so anxious?
One possibility is that our mirror neurons, specialised neurons found in our brains for imitating the physiology of our tribe, are picking up stress signals from other humans in our vicinity and putting us on guard, therefore mirroring their affect and keeping us vigilant.
Consider the example of a herd of impala grazing peacefully on the African savannah, one lone impala on the edge of the herd shows signs of anxiety and the emotion ripples through the herd within seconds, every one of them is poised for flight at a moment’s notice. They don’t know what the scout heard, saw, or scented but they are vigilant and sniffing the air for danger. Could this be happening with the stressed kids in a school environment? How many kids showing signs of anxiety would you need before even the most easy-going children are picking up the vibe in their mirror neurons ‘we are not safe’.
If we do not become more proactive about regulating our own nervous systems, we, and our children, are at risk of being sucked into this vortex of stress and anxiety with everybody else. Rather, how about considering being part of the solution, so that your calm body and peaceful demeaner can regulate other people’s mirror neurons to a place of calm.