Freedom's in the water

How to hold your breath [View this email online]( [Invisibilia]( Photos of Kia Miakka Natisse and Zandile Ndhlovu Somewhere in the pandemic and the terrible news cycle, co-host Kia Miakka Natisse got stuck in a butt divot in her couch and an even deeper funk. To break out, she sets out on a journey to the bottom of the ocean, looking for an answer to a single, existential question: can I be safe and free? On her hunt for wisdom, she journeys to Cape Town, South Africa, to dive into the ocean with freediver and self-proclaimed mermaid, Zandile Ndhlovu. [Listen to the Episode]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Meet Zandile Ndhlovu --------------------------------------------------------------- - Instagram: [@zandithemermaid]( - Website - [( - TedX Capetown Talk: [( Scroll to see more photos from the story. All photos courtesy of Kia Miakka Natisse. Conquering the Stress Cycle --------------------------------------------------------------- Before heading to South Africa, Kia was stuck in a way that made her wonder, “Am I burnt out?” “If you're asking [that] question,” Emily Nagoski explained, “chances are you are either already burnt out or very much down the road.” Emily, with her sister Amelia Nagoski, co-wrote the book [Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle](. To learn more about burnout and how to figure out if you might be struggling with it, our friends over at Life Kit have a [great episode all about how to manage burnout at work](. But even if you’re not quite at the burnout point, understanding the stress cycle, and how it contributes to burnout, is important. “Most of us are walking around with decades of accumulated incomplete stress response cycles in our bodies,” Emily says. Here’s a few tips from Emily on how to move through the stress cycle more effectively. The stress cycle: an evolutionary parable Emily explained how the stress cycle is an evolutionary mechanism our bodies developed in reaction to the very real threats our ancestors used to face, like lions on the African plains, for example. If you’re being chased by a lion, the normal reaction is to run, with two possible outcomes: you either get eaten, or you outrun the lion. If you’re lucky enough to outrun it, make it back to your village, there are people in the community to help you. “They wave you into their door and you both stand with your shoulders against the door,” Emily says, “and this remarkably persistent lion, roars and charges and pounds against the door. But eventually the lion gives up.” This might leave the runner feeling relieved, maybe exhausted, but back with your community and overall safe. “The sun seems to shine brighter, and this is what we call the stress response cycle.” The stress response cycle in modern times is tricky, because we aren’t just running away from lions. “So traffic and kids and partners and money and jobs, and … looming capitalist, white supremacist, patriarchy – these are the things that our body interprets as a potential threat, and they activate a stress response,” Emily says. That stress then shows up in your body. “It is the changes in your chemistry that result in an increased respiration rate, increased blood pressure, [and] reduced immune functioning.” But even if you get rid of the stressor, that doesn’t mean you’ve completed the stress cycle. “It is so important to separate the stress… or solving the problem that activated the stress, separate that from the process of dealing with the stress itself,” Emily explains. It’s not enough to remove yourself from the stressful stimulus – and sometimes that’s not even possible. If you get rid of the stressor or not, you still have to figure out a way to complete the stress cycle. “Stress is a tunnel,” Emily says. “You have to go all the way through the darkness to get to the light.” The number one way to complete the stress cycle: movement “Physical activity is probably the most efficient strategy, just because it is the language your body speaks,” Emily says. Moving your body communicates to yourself that you have power and agency to keep yourself safe and protected. A quick and easy activity you can do anywhere is a full body clench – clench your whole body as tight as you can. After 10 seconds, let go. “That's enough movement of your body to certainly skim off the worst of the stress that's happening in the moment.” But movement isn’t always an option, so here are a few other ideas Emily shared for how to get stress out of your body. - A good old cry releases oxytocin and endorphins, helping to release both physical and emotional pain. - Belly laughter (especially belly laughter with friends!): “If you can't get to belly laughter with friends, just reminiscing about a time that you belly laughed together can be enough to change your chemistry... a lot of our sense of safety comes from a sense of connection, which is why laughter is so important because it is a social emotion.” - A 20 second hug: “That's a potentially awkward long time to hug somebody. So like you have to actually really like and trust them,” Emily said. “And that's kind of the point – you hold your body against this other person and your body recognizes, ‘Oh right. I have a person in my life with whom I feel safe enough that I can hold my body this close for this long.' And you feel the chemistry shift happen in your body.” The twenty seconds is just a suggested time, the point is to hug until you feel relaxed. And it doesn’t have to be a human! Animals are also a great way to experience connection and safety. - Spirituality: “Many people experience their spirituality as connection with a loving divine family, being held in a place of safety and connection within the infinite.” Emily suggests prayer or participating in a worship service can be ways to get that sense of connection to community. The complete stress cycle superpower “The superpower that we have is combining a whole bunch of these, where you move your body in rhythm with other people for a shared purpose,” Emily says. Things like marching in a political protest, playing sports, hitting the dance floor, freediving or rollerskating. All these experiences can create a greater sense of unity with the universe around you. Finally, trust your body. You’ll know when you’ve completed the cycle. “You'll just feel like it's like when you get to the end of a big, long sob and your body's like, and I'm done and the less you fight it, the more fluidly it happens,” Emily says. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [invisibiliamail@npr.org](mailto:invisibiliamail@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Pop Culture Happy Hour, Code Switch and more! 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