7 Steps to Build Resilience to Political Burnout, Backed by Neuroscience.
Try “iBehave” for today’s tumultuous political climate.
The next few months of 2020 are going to be hard.
The stomachs of military veterans, government workers, and active duty service members who have chosen to serve our nation are churning.
Liberal and conservative alike are noticing the abundant violations of the Hatch act with criminal appropriation of congressional funds for political purposes, and radical breaks from tradition that blur the lines between official U.S. government business and campaigning.
To lessen the blow to our hearts and minds as we wrestle with the lack of integrity shown by this chief executive, we suggest a neuroscience approach to thrive during this divisive and pivotal moment in history.
iBEHAVE for short, because who doesn’t love an acronym?
Neuroscience + Behavioral Economics 101.
Let science help you avoid confirmation bias, frustration, and political burnout.
OPERATING SYSTEMS
The brain consists of many parts but generally understood as having 2 distinct operating systems.
The “rider” and the “elephant”.
Rider: rational decision maker part of your brain — a.k.a. the tip of the iceberg.
Elephant: instant gratification monkey part of your brain — a.k.a: most of the brain that keeps you alive.
BRAIN PROCESSING
Brain processes are driven via neurotransmitters, or signalling hormones in the brain and body to upregulate or downregulate reward and learning based on behaviors, environment, and culture.
There generally are 2 pathways for our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Thinking Fast:
- DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS: unconscious, automatic, effortless
- WITHOUT self-awareness or control “What you see is all there is.”
- ROLE: Assesses the situation, delivers updates
- Makes 98% of all our thinking
Thinking Slow:
- DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS: deliberate and conscious, effortful, controlled mental process, rational thinking
- WITH self-awareness or control, logical and skeptical
- ROLE: seeks new/missing information, makes decisions
- Makes 2% if all our thinking
So when serotonin fueled aversion and disgust clouds your judgement on an issue, or acetylocholine spikes of anger ruin discussions with your neighbors from opposing viewpoints, or dopamine hits reward you for tapping into confirmation bias, it’s no wonder we are like school yard children digging in our heels during this election season.
It takes a mighty aware “rider” steering the elephant and willing to employ draining, exhausting system II slow thinking to avoid the common pitfalls of tribalism, cognitive biases, and ineffective political activism.
iBEHAVE: A System to Avoid Political Burnout
Follow these 7 steps to avoid political burnout and supercharge your recovery from physical and psychological stress so you can continue to be an example of someone willing to listen and serve your nation.
#1: i = Instant Gratification.
Learn how to reward yourself so you can master dopamine and enhance learning you value instead of being a victim to facebook’s masterful algorithms.
Try mindfulness meditation.
You can do it on the spot pretty much anywhere and with practice it feels really good and therefore rewarding to our brains. It does this by creating a bigger better offer for your brain to get dopamine from places other than mean tweets, social media likes, booze, or drugs.
Apps like WakingUp, Headspace, and 10% Happier are amongst the plethora of helpful and cheap tools available to help you learn the practice.
#2: B =Be able to shift emotion on demand.
Truth without emotion. Learn to breathe away anxiety and stress from the 24 hour news cycle and reduce glucocorticoids causing low grade inflammation.
Try deep diaphragmatic box breathing.
Inhale for 4 seconds.
Then hold your breath for 4 seconds.
Then Exhale for 4 seconds.
Then hold your breath for 4 seconds.
Repeat as needed.
#3: E =Exercise.
Simply put, the fittest are the most resilient. They have higher heart rate variability, lower resting heart rate, and improved BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) which is a major player in brain plasticity. Plasticity refers to the ability to create new connections for learning and memory, both very important in the fight against burgeoning facism.
In order not to slam into the rails of homeostasis and hurt yourself and land in pain or hypervigiliance, exercise should tolerable yet progressive.
Try to aim for at least 30 minutes of whatever exercise lights you up per day to clear your mind.
#4: H =Habits.
Create your environment for optimal function and well-being by implementing habits to save your willpower.
Gentle reminders like nudges and incentives put into place ahead of time create the best behaviors by minimizing decision fatigue and depletion of executive function. Save the executive function for your activism!
Try tiny tweaks.
Tiny habit changes equal big results without challenging homeostasis to the breaking point and activating System I thinking. System 1 will strongly tell you to sit on the couch and get away from all the political nonsense by watching netflix with a plate of nachos.
Nudge yourself to limit panic scrolling by placing a screentime reminder on your phone. You can dismiss it, but it will gently remind you to be your better self.
#5: A = Active Recovery.
Nourishing restorative exercise and muti-sensory inputs restores your hormonal balance toward calm and reduces CNS fatigue. Activities like walking, yoga, sauna and others helps to accelerate healing from muscle tearing induced from the exercise you did previously to clear your mind.
Try a non-addictive, non invasive approach.
Invest in a 10 dollar foam roller and learn how to crack your mid back yourself. What a nice little shot of happy hormones to reduce stress, even if just for a moment to reset your attitude after reading people attack you online for your opinion.
#6: Values Aligned.
Values shape our beliefs & behaviors. Facts don’t.
Connect to your why on a regular basis to stay recharged and resilient.
Try 10 minutes of journaling each day or night.
Marcus Aurelius famously did this and while his political turmoil eclipses American 2020 politics, much of the same beliefs, thoughts, and values can be seen in his book Meditations. History repeats, but you can enhance your ability to be healthy and happy with a simple strategy.
#7: Environment for Success & Sleep.
We are as much a product of our biology as we are of our culture and environment. Like it or not, we are social creatures and are the average of the five people we hang out with the most.
Try the one thing that makes you better at everything: sleep.
For mind-body resilience and maximal alertness, above all else — sleep must be sacred.
Sleep is the only time our muscles grow, the brain cleans itself out, and memories solidify. Our environment for sleep must be cool, dark, and quiet and routines and consistent bedtimes really do help make 7–9 hours a night realistic.
It’s too easy to ruminate about the state of our nation, but if we really want to DO something about it, fix your sleep so you are operating at your optimal level of function, and connect with other game changers and stay away from complainers and internet trolls.
i BEHAVE.
I hope others do as well and we come out of this period in history more connected, more resilient, and leave a legacy for our children that is worthy.
By Morgan Fielder from CornholeEuropa
Author profile: Morgan Fielder is an evangelist for play and DOD civilian physical therapist living near Ramstein AFB raising two gorgeous girls, wife of a rebel, serial expat, and is actively involved in the German community through several organizations. Visit her community project at cornholeuropa.com to learn more.
💖CornholeEuropa
