Most here in central Texas are experiencing a trauma response

I can thank the 2021 winter storm Uri for my new habit of checking the weather forecast for the upcoming week. A week gives me time to worry, time to write down the worries in the form of a To-Do list, time to worry about when I’ll have the time to shop for the items on the To Do’s (like outside faucet covers, extra loaves of bread and other ingredients that don’t need power to make a meal) and time to call my plumber to talk about what pipes I am worried about.

But this week feels more fraught with worry. I have noticed I’ve been embroiled in a 4-day worry festival that at times has overwhelmed me. When the loud, eery low tonal sounds of thunder started around midnight this morning my body engaged into sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight) and even with all the good tools I have to help me disengage, I could not fall asleep. My chihuahua Paco and I stayed up for hours with shallow breathing, restlessness, and constant worrying (though I’m not completely sure of what Paco was thinking). It felt as if something dangerous was going to happen at any moment and we needed to be awake in order to survive it.

I am pretty sure we were not alone in this experience of sensing impending doom. Our bodies here in central Texas are aware that warm shelter and access to food and water are not guaranteed when the thermometer plunges. The worrying thoughts, the tightness in our muscles, the shallow breathing are signals saying: “a possible threat to your survival may be coming your way and you need to be prepared for it.”

If you have been experiencing constant worrying, chaotic thoughts, loss of appetite, inability to focus, disconnection from others or your own body, and/or insomnia, know that you are not alone! The extensive power and water outages, as well as food shortages, last year were a real threat to our survival; hundreds of people did not survive and our bodies know this on a deep, unconscious level. The worrying, disconnection, and sleeplessness are a result of the trauma you experienced last year.

The good news is our human bodies were designed to survive. The constant worrying is helping you to NOT forget or avoid the preparation you need to ensure you do the best you can to weather the possibility of no power, heat, water, or food.

Please be mindful and make some space for compassion for yourself and others if right now you notice you are on edge, perhaps have a short-fuse, or feel like isolating from others. Your body’s physiological state is trying to do the right thing to help you survive what’s really happening outside and what could really happen tomorrow.

If you can, place your hands over your heart center and give yourself a warm ‘thank you’ that your survival wiring is doing exactly what is it meant to do, right here, right now.