What does it mean to Futurize Yourself? Why is it important in a fast-changing world? Find out the answers in the interview I gave Sascha Siegmund on his “I Am Your Coach” online TV channel.
Tag: Tom Meyers
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Osteopath, Stress Coach and International Speaker
How stress and terrorism affect election behaviour
The original article that I contributed to was published online in the APA Science section, the Austrian magazine Profil and in the Tiroler Tageszeiting under the title: Wie sich Stress und Terrorängste auf das Wahlverhalten auswirken. (From APA: 22. 4. 2017)
Several studies provide evidence of benefits for right-wing populists.
The final round of the French presidential election campaign is being overshadowed by a terrorist attack. Scientific research over the last few years provides several indications that right-wing populists and politicians who rely on anxiety gaps can benefit from such a climate.
“It is obvious that psychological stress plays an important role in political decision-making”
US psychologists found from a study during the Al-Aqsa intifada in Israel that individuals who are personally exposed to political violence react with fear and also adjust their political views accordingly. The results of their research provide “solid indications” for the assumption that “terrorism leads to non-democratic attitudes that threaten minority rights.” According to the study by Daphna Canetti-Nisim (1) and her colleagues it is obvious that psychological stress plays an important role in political decision-making
However, Anna Getmansky (2) from the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University and Thomas Zeitzoff from the Department of Politics at New York University suggest that the mere threat of terrorism has already an impact on election behaviour. They investigated the impact of Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on four Israeli elections from 2001 to 2009. “Our results show that the right-wing share of votes were two to six percentage points higher in those areas within the range of missiles.”
“We have found that greater liberalism is associated with increased volume of grey matter in the anterior cingulate cortex“
It seems that anxiety tends to benefit right-wing conservative and authoritarian political forces. In 2011, a researcher from the University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience found out that the political attitude also manifests itself in our brain structures: “We have found that greater liberalism is associated with increased grey matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, while conservatism with a increased volume of the right amygdala “, writes study author Ryota Kanai (3).
The researchers also assume that political orientation also expresses how people deal with anxiety and insecurity. Persons with a larger amygdala are considered to be more sensitive to fear and therefore would rather integrate conservative views into their belief system. On the other hand, the increased importance of the anterior cingulate cortex could be associated with greater tolerance against uncertainty and conflict. Although their data could not determine a causal link, they do reveal a link between brain structures and psychological mechanisms that are expressed in political attitudes.
A connection between conspiracy theories and stress has also been scientifically researched. Psychologists (4) from the University of Cambridge found out in 2016: The more people are under psychological pressure, the more vulnerable they are to conspiracy theories. Authoritarian attitudes are also associated with perceived social threats: those who feel latently threatened are more willing to limit the basic freedoms of others.
At the same time, stressed voters seem to be the ones who are most likely to stay away from the elections – a finding that is particularly relevant to the US and its low electoral participation. A researcher of psychologists and political scientists around Jeffrey A. French (5) from the University of Nebraska-Omaha discovered in 2011 that people who had the highest level of stress hormone cortisol most likely did not vote.
“Populists talk with the people on the level of fear, with their words, their gestures, with everything they have”
The Brussels Osteopath and anti-stress expert Tom Meyers has looked at all these research results. Tom got interested in the reasons for this rise in right-wing populism, especially after the election of the right-wing populist and republican Donald Trump to US president and seeing the rise of populist parties in his own home country Belgium, in the Netherlands, but also in Austria.
”Populists talk to people on the level of fear, with their words, their gestures, with everything they have,” says Meyers. Stress is always limiting people. “In stress one thinks only of oneself. Everything outside becomes dangerous.” This is a normal protective function of the body (instinct) that is out to survive: Because for example if a car is approaching and you’re in the middle of the road (stress), one should not think too long about others.
Stress is an adaptive response to protect the body (no body no mind). People believe that they always act rationally. In fact, biological processes such as stress changes the way you think and behave: “We underestimate how strongly the body, neuro-hormonal systems affect our behaviour and our way of thinking,” (matter over mind) says Meyers.
contributor
References
(1) D. Canetti-Nisim, et al. (2009). A New Stress-Based Model of Political Extremism: Personal Exposure to Terrorism, Psychological Distress, and Exclusionist Political Attitudes. J Conflict Resolut. 2009 Jun; 53(2): 363–389. doi: 10.1177/0022002709333296
(2) A. Getmansky and T. Zeitzoff (2014). Terrorism and Voting: The Effect of Exposure to Rockets on Voting in Israeli Elections. American Political Science Association 108(03):588-604. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055414000288
(3) R. Kanai, et al. (2011). Political Orientations Are Correlated with Brain Structure in Young Adults. Current Biology. 2011 Apr 26; 21(8): 677–680. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.03.017
(4) V. Swami, et al. (2016). Putting the stress on conspiracy theories: Examining associations between psychological stress, anxiety, and belief in conspiracy theories. Personality and Individual Differences vol. 99 , Pages 72–76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.04.084
(5) J. A. French, et al. (2014). Cortisol and politics: Variance in voting behaviour is predicted by baseline cortisol levels. Physiology & Behaviour vol 133, 61–67 DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.004
The original German article:
https://www.profil.at/shortlist/wissenschaft/stress-terror-aengste-wahlverhalten-studie-8090749
Tenets of Health
Transcript of the Feature ‘Health Matters’ on Radio X from 15 December 2014
I’m Tom Meyers and welcome to the last regular episode of Health Matters for this year.
In the last 14 episodes I‘ve taken you an a journey to find answers to the question: What is health?
We all seek health but are we ready to take up our responsibility to give it at least a chance to express itself? Are we willing to look into our own bosom and act today rather than wait till someone else does it for us as I can tell you with certainty that day will never come…
As soon as we are born we know one thing for sure the body will die. However from that moment of birth until your last day, your body – by nature – is genetically programmed towards health which in other words means that it strives for unity or wholeness through creating a physiological dynamic equilibrium.
That dynamic equilibrium however is being challenged more than ever before through our changing environment that leads us astray from nature towards an artificial unsustainable IT dominated culture that is in conflict with our biological system that hasn’t changed since prehistory.
However health and our current technological environment don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Both systems have laws that govern them and what we need to find is the right milieu where both support each other and not work against each other as is the case now.
As the IT world doesn’t stop expanding and renewing itself it isn’t there that we need to start our quest for change or reflection on health matters. Health on the other hand is being halted even though we have more means to our disposition to stay and be healthy we do get sicker by the day not only individually bot also as a society.
So why not add to your list of new years resolutions the intention to reflect upon the essence of health and to implement health behaviour?
To get you started here are a few tenants you might like focus on:
- Health is in my hands it is my responsibility.
- I’ll be mindful of what I think and say as thoughts alter my biology.
- What I eat I become.
- I will remember that what I send out comes back, what I saw, I reap, what I give I get, what I see in others exists in me.
- I am human, not super human.
- I will find out and never again ignore what my heart beats for.
- Unless you start caring about myself no one will.
- Don’t live another ones dream live your own there is room for all.
- Have less be more.
- Know that you are awesome
Well, that’s it from me this year I hope I’ve been able to inspire you with the information shared here in Health Matters on Radio X. The English commercial radio station that has a heart for you.
Rest me to say may love and light accompany you during the holiday season and be good to you always.
TomTom Health Navigator
When you like more information about my presentations or consultations or when you just want to get in touch, then visit the website www.tommeyers.be
Soul-Purpose (part 3)
Transcript of the Feature ‘Health Matters’ nr. 51 on Radio X from 1 December 2014
I’m Tom Meyers and welcome to another episode of Health Matters. In Health Matters I share with you my professional experience as an osteopath and stress coach, bring you scientific insights and pass on practical tips how to manage stress and improve your health and well-being.
In last weeks episode, I shed light on the second of the three questions where you ask yourself: What do others admire in me? Which is the reverse perspective of the first question and gives you insights into whom or what you attract. Attract just like a magnet so to speak and thus without really doing anything to attract it in the first place.
This question can also be looked into differently. You could observe what people have said to you that you are good at or feel drawn to you for?
It’s what you resonate outwardly… and that people pick up without you having to do anything for it… Like a personal beacon coming from deep within. Have you ever noticed how successful people radiate… yes that kind of vibration comes from being in their element, in their personal Power.
First question ‘what do you admire in others ‘ was you versus others, the second ‘What do others admire in you’ others versus you that leaves a question you with yourself and that is exactly what the third question is all about and it goes – What have you done that truly made you happy -.
Take a moment to revisit past events and observe all the moments where you had a blissful feeling, a feeling of belonging or where you felt and thought if I would do this for the rest of my life I would be happy.
What was it about that moment that made you feel that way. What made you so happy? … and no it wasn’t that moment where you were lying on a beach drinking your favourite cocktail… I’m not taking about those moments… nice and blissful as they are it’s not a talent as such… However travelling can be. Some people feel better when they move around… others prefer to stay in one place.
But it could be for example when you were creating a presentation for a unique occasion and for which you had to do research, write a speech and then give the speech and where afterwards people came up to you asking how many times you had done this already while it was your first time… yep that happened to me… and from that experience I distilled that I actually loved research on a topic I was passionate about and that I loved standing in front of people and share information that I was actually good at it without too much effort and from which I then summarised as being blessed with the talents of a researcher and teacher.
From question one and two I distilled communicator, traveller and therapist…
So for me 5 talents… 5 building blocks… 5 ingredients that I needed to explore. Ok to put things in perspective I did this exercise 14 years ago when I was 30 I was unhappy, depressed. I was working in the catering business as a waiter and ran my own little deli. So nothing at all to do with the talents I had just discovered and that are part of my life today.
What are yours?
Next week we’ll continue the journey and start the process of putting those talents to good use.
But before I leave here is a quote by Edgar Cayce in line with our quest
For life is, and experience is, what each soul makes of it. Fulfilling the soul’s purpose is a greater service, a greater joy than may be had by him who may have built a city or have conquered a nation.”
Something to reflect upon the coming week. Have a great day, and I’ll catch up with you again next week.
For more information about my presentations or consultations or when you just want to get in touch visit my website www.tommeyers.be
TomTom Health Navigator
Discover your potential
Transcript of the Feature ‘Health Matters’ nr. 48 on Radio X from 10 November 2014
I’m Tom Meyers and welcome to another episode of Health Matters. In Health Matters I share with you my professional experience as an osteopath and stress coach, bring you scientific insights and pass on practical tips how to manage stress and improve your health and well-being.
In last weeks episode, I shared with you that your heart and your gut have an intelligence of their own and that this intelligence can act independently from the control of your brain.
You can tap into that intelligence to improve your health but also to bring more meaning into your life. Meaning is associated with the feeling of fulfilment and increased sense of wellbeing.
Let us stop here for a moment as I would like to remind you of the quest we’re on since September? The quest to find answers to the question: What is health?
For those of you that just started to listen to Health Matters, I highly recommend that you go to the podcast or blog and listen to the previous episodes.
That said and with renewed focus lets continue were we left of.
Intuition and gut feeling, we all have it and at times act accordingly but more often than not we don’t. We do not trust it enough and regret it afterwards. Learning to trust your intuition and gut feeling is like fine-tuning your musical skills by practicing over and over again. How? For example you can do this by repeating the Reaset Breathing exercise or daily practices like mindfulness, meditation or yoga.
While you’re practicing your intuition and gut feeling you can also go on a still deeper personal journey. A journey that takes you to discover your potential or how I like to refer to it the journey to find out your soul-purpose.
You might not believe there is something like a potential pre-destination and that is ok, I had difficulties accepting that too. But today I can look back at 14 years of developing my innate potential and living my soul-purpose or in other words living who I was born to be.
We all come into this world with certain personality traits some of which are dominant others that will develop over time depending on environmental stimuli. The same is true for your aptitudes, your talents, your unique skills.
You were born with a unique combination of skills that defines who you are just as much as being a man or a woman defines you.
So how do you find your unique skills? I’m sure some you know already but others you don’t and others still you are expressing but don’t see them as anything special but people around you do.
So what I would like you to do this week is answer the following three questions
1. What do you admire in others?
2. What do others admire in you?
3. What have you done that truly made you happy?
Make your answers short and precise.
In the next episode of Health Matters I’ll share with you how to interpret your answers.
In the meantime have a great day, and I’ll catch up with you again next week. For more information about my presentations or consultations , to visit the blog or to pick up your November copy of Together Magazine please visit my website www.tommeyers.be
Some aims make you sick
Transcript of the Feature ‘Health Matters’ nr. 46 on Radio X from 20 October 2014
I’m Tom Meyers and welcome to another episode of Health Matters. In Health Matters I share with you my professional experience as an osteopath and stress coach, bring you scientific insights and pass on practical tips how to manage stress and improve your health and well-being.
In last weeks episode, I shared that you have to be careful what you aim for, as some aims can make you sick. What aims aren’t good for you, the ones that are ego driven and aren”t in line with your unconscious mind or subconscious program, or what I call for myself my soul purpose.
JP Sears, a holistic coach has a great video on youtube the law of attraction delusion which I will put on my website and highly recommend it.
http://www.innerawakeningsonline.com
In his video he illustrates that because our ego is in need for love it thinks that it is the most powerful force in the Universe and thus thinks it can be do and have everything it sets it mind to it. Just think about how dangerous that would be.
From a neuroscience point of view our higher cognitive functioning, free will and awareness just like writing, planning and reasoning are processed in the outer layer of our brain called the neocortex. Just under the neocortex emotions and memory are processed in an area called the limbic system. Subconscious processes like the stress response, regulation of all vital systems are in the deeper more central layers of the brain and is connected with your spinal cord. Some scientist believe, that these layers from reptilian brain to neocortex are linked with evolution from primitive to more protective and social beings to the present stage of our evolution with higher cognitive functions like speaking, writing, planning, symbolic reasoning and past present future thinking.
Image from
http://www.leaderthoughtship.com/2012/11/leader-thoughtship-new-blog.html
Although the neocortex is the biggest part of our brain taking up about 70 % of the total volume when it comes to which part controls what it isn’t the volume that is important but the connections between the different layers.
Connections are neurones and just like highways they go in a certain direction. That direction dictates who controls what. As an example if you could consciously control your heartbeat by just a thought that would mean that there must be a direct link from your outer layer of your brain that part of your brain that controls your heartbeat which is situated centrally in the reptilian brain. Does that exist? No However is there a link from your heart centre to your emotions and conscious brain? Yes.
There are 70% more connections from the centre of your brain to the outer layers of your brain. That means there are 70% more influences from your subconscious, innate programming to your cognitive and decision making centres… no tell me who or what is in control?
Can you have, do, be anything you set your mind to?
With all this in mind it’s time for sharing insights on how you can find your potential and start your journey towards a more meaningful life, happier and healthier life.
So Tune in next week for another episode of Health Matters here on radio X. Meanwhile, have great week and why not subscribe to the Health Matters blog or Facebook page so you don’t miss any future feature or bonus episodes and articles. You can find the links on my website www.tommeyers.be
Extra:
Here is another video that I saw appearing on my Facebook news feed that illustrates how positive thinking from a scientific point of isn’t always good for you.
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Just keep an open mind and listen to your heart.
AIM = I AM
Transcript of the Feature ‘Health Matters’ nr. 45 on Radio X from 20 October 2014
I’m Tom Meyers and welcome to another episode of Health Matters. In Health Matters I share with you my professional experience as an osteopath and stress coach, bring you scientific insights and pass on practical tips how to manage stress and improve your health and well-being.
In last weeks episode, I talked about the benefits of becoming mindful of your bodies limits, of what it can handle. Don’t get me wrong your body is amazing but trop is the veel en the veel is trop as they say here in Belgium. Therefore get to know your limits and act accordingly.
Last week I also asked you to ponder upon the meaning of the metaphor ‘Only a king can dream a Kingdom’. It’s a quote from the personal development book the School for Gods written by professor Stefano d’Anna. Actually the quote goes ‘Only a King can dream Versailles…’ but that is just between you and me 😉
When it comes to health and wellbeing knowing who you are and who you were born to be are just as important as knowing the limits and resources of your body.
Let me illustrate.
Imagine your dream is to become a King but you are NOT born in a royal family then the likelihood you’ll ever be a king is very slim and Versailles or a kingdom far off. You don’t hear me say that becoming a king or having a kingdom is impossible but however and I hope you agree, highly unlikely. But lets say just for the sake of it that you managed somehow against all odds and probably with enormous sacrifices to become a King, then the question remains will you be living a meaningful and happy life or always live in fear for loosing it? Fear, means stress and chronic stress leads to illness and so on…
In other words you can aim for anything you wish for… but it doesn’t mean it will bring you happiness or health… on the contrary some aims can make you sick.
And after all AIM is the acronym for I AM and therefore knowing who you are, what your heart truly desire becomes part of the health equation! Your heart, not your mind.
And these kind of questions, reflections on one self have everything to do with personal development… or the conscious pursuit of self-realisation by expanding your self-awareness and by nourishing and honing your innate potential.
In other words personal development is reaching out to living your heart’s desire, to become who you were born to be and is essential for finding happiness and fulfilment and contribute to health and wellbeing.
Do I still have your attention?
In the coming weeks I will share with you my personal story how three questions put to me 14 years ago saved my life and contributed to who I am today and which can help you too, on your journey of self-realisation and improved health and wellbeing.
That’s all for this episode of Health Matters have a great day and I’ll catch up with you again next week here on Radio X or why not subscribe to the Health Matters podcast or Facebook page so you don’t miss any future feature or bonus episodes and articles. You can also find this episode as an article in next months Together Magazine to get to it go to my website www.tommeyers.be
A pain in the neck
Article by Tom Meyers published in Together Magazine 52, October 2014
According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, musculoskeletal pain in the neck, shoulder and back is the most common work- related health problem.
Its increasing prevalence in modern society is concerning, and when left unresolved it contributes to distress at home, loss of productivity and increased absence at work.
Working as an osteopath and Stress-Coach for Body and Mind, most of my patients make an appointment for relief from musculoskeletal pain. When asked about the cause of their discomfort, I mostly hear patients say it is related to working in an office all day: my chair at work isn’t the best, I’m not sitting straight, my computer screen isn’t at the right height, I’ve been working with the computer mouse a lot – in other words, patients most often put the blame for their discomfort on ergonomic or postural issues.
And, yes, prolonged static postures or repetitive movements can lead to muscular chronic tension and eventually pain.
This biomechanical link has been researched extensively, and, although it seems logical, it will
probably surprise you to know that scientific studies show that ergonomics aren’t the main problem. There is in fact only limited evidence for a causal relationship between computer work, computer mouse and keyboard time and neck, shoulder and musculoskeletal pain.
In other words the desk, the mouse, the posture are contributors. However, they aren’t the main cause of your pain.
So what is?
It turns out the biggest contributors to musculoskeletal pain are psychosocial factors, mainly job stress as we try to cope with a heavy workload, deadlines, information overload and reorganization.
On a behavioral level these psychosocial factors prompt you to work longer hours, increase your pace at work and make you take fewer breaks, to give but a few examples.
On a physiological level these factors contribute to triggering the stress response which increases heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol and adrenaline levels and heightens muscular tension.
Chronic stress in turn leads to mood swings, anxiety and depression, and these change your posture and so contribute to musculoskeletal problems.
This combination of biological and psychosocial factors means that we must observe musculoskeletal pain from a ‘biopsychosocial’ perspective.
So the next time you have musculoskeletal pain:
- Take a moment to reflect what has been happening in your life or at work lately.
- What are the changes that have taken place and got you all tied-up?
- How much stress have you experienced lately and what have you done to relax?
- Are you still carrying the weight on your shoulders of issues from long ago?
- Have you taken too much on your plate lately?
Take time to understand the true cause of your pain, unwind and be mindful of your beliefs and how others affect you. If pain persists then consider professional help.
For more health and wellness tips, tune in to the feature Health Matters on http://www.radiox.eu or visit www.tommeyers.be
Health a biopsychosocial process
Transcript of the Feature ‘Health Matters’ nr. 41 on Radio X from 22 September 2014
I’m Tom Meyers and welcome to another episode of Health Matters. In Health Matters I share with you my personal experience as an osteopath and stress coach, bring you scientific insights and practical tips how to manage stress and improve your health and well-being.
As seen last week Health is a dynamic, biological, psychological and social or in short a biopsychosocial process that changes and adapts itself constantly to the needs of the moment. Health doesn’t mean the absence of dis-ease. Believe it or not dis-ease is sometimes essential to keep the health balance. Ok you might now declare me insane but just keep listening and let me explain.
On a biological level, when you had too much to drink you’ve intoxicated yourself and the best thing to restore the balance is to get that alcohol out of your system, yes I mean being sick.
To illustrate a psychological example well think of the moments you were really down, depressed and rebounded. That dip triggered a process from which you learned and elevated yourself. Socially it can be like difficulties at work that you’ve overcome. I’m describing here dynamic processes that I’m sure you’ve experienced. Problem arrises when that excess alcohol stays inside of you, you stay depressed or you don’t transcend the difficulties at work. Health then can’t express itself anymore and illness, or in other words a state of not being in full health sets in.
The list of examples where dis-ease is not the opposite of health is endless, but let me highlight one more. Ageing, yes becoming older. There are many theories on how old we can get. Some say our body is made to get up to 150 years but so far no one has ever reached that age by my knowing except in the Bible. I’m not saying it isn’t possible. A Dutch scientist deducted from an bio-evolutionary perspective that 54 is the age for which we are made. In the sense that we’re here to bring unto this world another generation and as soon as that generation can live independently, we’ve reached out purpose. He goes on saying that many people fall into a deep hole when the kids are out of the house, as – exactly from that biological perspective the purpose – the goal has been reached and we come face to face with the question for which we haven’t prepared ourselves sufficiently: What now…?
Whatever you believe, from a cellular perspective there is a limit of how many times a cell can divide… this is called the Hayflick Limit. When we’re lets say ¾ of the way a cell can divide and the cell isn’t as vibrant as when we were born well that has an effect on your health but does that mean You’re ill? I don’t want to answer that one but it does mean that we’re changing with age.
Your mind on the other hand stays internally young. Ask an 80 year old how old he or she feels within and you will rarely and probably never get 80.
That said: How old do you feel inside?
So lets recapitulate. Health is a dynamic biopsychosocial process, a balance where short-term dis-ease is part of the equation and thus, that being ill, now and then is ok. Why do I take time to illustrate this… because our western society has been conditioning us that dis-ease is bad, something to be avoided at all times or when an illness state set in to get rid of it as quickly as possible with whatever means possible and without any consideration of the lessons that can be learned from it. Y
es some problems are transcending the control of the individual like environmental pollution and its influence on our health. But still if you can already take the responsibility of that part that you can have control over you will experience health benefits and stay longer in balance.
That’s all for this episode of Health Matters have a great day and I’ll catch up with you again next week here on Radio X or why not subscribe to the Health Matters podcast or Facebook page so you don’t miss any future feature or bonus episodes and articles. You can find the appropriate links on my website www.tommeyers.be
