Ever wonder what happens to make a brain freeze? You know, you're drinking your favorite slushy drink in the middle of a hot day and all of a sudden, POW!
Wikihow.com gives a pretty good description of what's going on:
"When the cold object touches the roof of your mouth, the blood vessels tighten up in response in an effort to prevent loss of body heat. As the coldness recedes, the blood vessels loosen up again, quickly increasing blood flow to the brain. This sudden release is what causes the intense headache sensation. "
What's this got to do with serving strong?
I believe we are wired for self preservation. And it's not always a self-centered issue. What's going on with our blood vessels in response to a cold substance is self preservation. When we touch a hot stove, our hand pulls away immediately. That's self preservation. That's the gift of pain.
Working with people is messy. When you are holding the hand, for example, of a person in your span of care who has just learned their child has died in a car accident, you are now carrying part of their burden. That produces stress in us. If we're not careful, stress can build up until we start losing our ability to care.
The answer, I believe, lies in our consistent attention to life balance & self care issues. So, as we attend to our own self, we are able to handle and process others' needs more adequately.
By the way, wikihow's entire article on brain freezes is quite insightful. Check it out.
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