This is why you go red 😳
Here's how to stop it
Feeling flushed? Here’s why—and how to stop it.
Ever find yourself going red in situations when all eyes are on you, like when it's your turn to speak in a meeting? Yep, us too.
Since the ground (unfortunately) refuses to swallow us up, it helps to understand why we have this incredibly embarrassing and inconvenient reaction. So let’s take a look at why you go so red, and what you can do to stop it.
Why does my body do this to me?
When you feel yourself going red, it’s your Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) in action. You might remember from this post that your SNS is the automatic system that governs your stress or ‘fight or flight’ response.
When we’re under threat, be that from a sabre-toothed tiger, an email from your boss, or holding the talking stick in a meeting, we shift into sympathetic arousal. This triggers a number of physiological responses, like blushing or reddening of the face, sweaty palms, faster and shallower breathing, numb hands and feet, or an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. All of the fun stuff!
When you experience these symptoms, among others, it’s a sign that your sympathetic nervous system (and your inner critic) is in action.
We’ve got good news…
You can actually stop all of this from happening with a few simple tricks. Because for every SNS, there’s a PNS; on the other side of our nervous system is a secret weapon called the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).
The PNS is the part of your central nervous system that’s responsible for rest and relaxation. By harnessing the PNS, you can essentially de-activate the SNS and stop all of those pain-in-the-bum physiological reactions, like going red.
Read on for three easy ways to activate your SNS.
3 ways to stop yourself from going red
Practice the following techniques whenever you feel those cheeks burning and that inner critic piping up.
1. Belly breathing
Ideal ahead of a situation that might trigger the SNS, like public speaking. Breathe down into your belly, in through your nose and out through your mouth (imagine you're filling a balloon), making the exhale longer than the inhale. A good place to start is breathing in for 6, and out for 8.
2. Mimic walking with your feet.
Perfect for doing under the table if you’re in a meeting. Whilst sat in a chair, place both feet flat on the floor and slowly mimic the action of walking, moving one foot, then the other. This can trick your brain into thinking that you're moving away from the ‘threat’ (in this case, your inner critic) and start to engage your PNS.
3. The 54321 Grounding Method.
In the immortal words of Shakira, you can practice this one whenever, wherever.
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you…
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you…
3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear…
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell…
1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.
If only they taught us this in school, right?! Let us know if you found these techniques helpful by commenting below.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe for weekly tips, knowledge and resources to help you manage your inner critic.
Know someone who needs a little grounding? Share this post with them.
And stay tuned for an extra special newsletter coming this Friday…