The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest

156 BRIANNA WIEST
• Our ability to manage a range of emotions decreases.
• We become stifled and stuck, have trouble planning
for the future, and our self-development and actualization
come to a halt.
• When we enter a state of fight-or-flight, our body
literally ceases any advanced function that is not
necessary for our survival. The body’s main receptors
become extremely sensitive and reactive to stimuli.
This is a beautiful and essential part of being human;
it’s kept us alive as a species. However, it is not a state
that is meant to be sustained.
Centuries ago, when we were at the lower rung of actualization,
or the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy, 14 what
concerned us most was physical survival. Today, our focus
is primarily on self-actualization and meaningfulness and
trying to feel “safe” through social acceptance, money, or
mental acuity.
With all of this grey area, it seems obvious that more
people would be mentally and emotionally struggling
than they did prior, despite having more physical challenges
to overcome.
Recovery comes down to something very simple, which is
restoring the feeling of one’s safety.
However, the most important part of this restoration is