Thursday Health & Wellness

In This Crazy, Loud World…Not Everything Deserves a Reaction

In this crazy, loud world, I believe it is healthier to learn when not to react.

Every opinion does not require my response.

Every incorrect assumption does not require a correction.

Every comment does not deserve my time, attention, or energy.

Before I react, I need to ask myself:

Does what this person said or did really have an impact on me and my life?

If the answer is yes, then I may need to speak up, set a boundary, gather information, or take action.

If the answer is no, I may need to push rocks and keep it moving.

I think we sometimes give power to situations that do not warrant our time and energy. Someone says something we do not like, and we carry it for the rest of the day. We replay the conversation, tell someone else about it, think about what we should have said, and allow one moment to keep upsetting us long after it has passed.

Meanwhile, the person who said it may have already forgotten about it.

But our body has not.

When we feel threatened, angry, or offended, the body can activate its stress response. Our heart rate may increase. Our breathing may change. Our muscles may tighten. We may feel hot, shaky, anxious, or ready to fight.

That response can be useful when there is a real threat. But constantly reacting to comments, opinions, social media posts, misunderstandings, and people who do not know us can keep the body in a repeated cycle of stress.

The American Psychological Association explains that stress activates the body’s fight-or-flight response and affects multiple systems throughout the body. Research has also found that repeatedly thinking about a stressful situation can prolong the body’s stress response even after the original moment has ended.

That means learning not to react is not only about protecting our peace.

It can also be part of protecting our health.

However, not reacting does not mean ignoring everything.

Today, I received a denial regarding my work-from-home accommodation because additional medical documentation is needed. That situation required a response because it directly affects my health, mobility, and employment.

I responded, updated my supervisor, reviewed what was missing, and made a plan to obtain the necessary documentation from my doctors.

That deserved my attention.

But a stranger making an incorrect assumption about my ethnicity?

Someone using a word without intending harm?

A person having an opinion about me that does not change my life?

Those situations may not deserve the same energy.

This is where discernment becomes important.

Ask yourself:

• Is this affecting my health, safety, livelihood, or relationships?
• Is a boundary being crossed?
• Is someone intentionally trying to harm or disrespect me?
• Will responding improve the situation?
• Or am I about to give this moment more power than it deserves?

Sometimes, speaking up is necessary.

Sometimes, silence is not weakness—it is wisdom.

Sometimes, the healthiest response is to pause, breathe, and decide that the situation is not coming home with you.

We do not have to attend every argument we are invited to.

We do not have to correct every person.

We do not have to carry every opinion.

In this crazy, loud world, protecting our peace may begin with one simple question:

Does this really deserve a reaction from me?

If it does, handle it.

If it does not, push rocks and keep it moving.

Your body, mind, and peace may thank you.

Health & Wellness. Real Life. My Flava.

Sources: American Psychological Association—Stress Effects on the Body and NIH/PMC—Stress, Rumination, and Recovery

Lady Flava Wellness 🌻