I’ve told this stress relief trick many times on stage and this weekend I got to put it in practice for real when my new five month old puppy got bitten by a dog who wouldn’t let go. (He is fine)
When a deer encounters an attack or is hunted right afterwards they physically shake their body from head to tail. That shaking helps them recover from the shock of the situation. My therapist told me this several years ago and recommended that humans too can learn from the physical reset by rigorously shaking your body if you have experienced something stressful. I’ll admit after my skeptical giggles at the time it did make me think and have used it many times as parental advice with my three daughters and even with some executives who have all told me it is helpful.
Taking our new puppy Winston for a walk this morning with one of my 11 year old daughters, I didn’t expect to need to use it. We are still teaching him how to pass other dogs and have been quick to explain to dog owners that we have a puppy in training who is still learning to interact with other dogs. On our quiet neighborhood street, after asking permission and being reassured the larger dog was friendly, we quickly discovered it was not! Some mutually cautious sniffs quickly turned into the dog biting Winston on the back of the neck and not letting go! The owners didn’t know what to do, froze, and couldn’t stop their dog clinging onto Winston’s neck who was yelping and couldn’t get away.
Without thinking, I went behind the dog and used my thumbs to prize open his jaw to let go of Winston. I’ve no idea how, but there was no blood, and it didn’t break through his skin. After a trip to the emergency vet, he was given the all clear.
I’m not sure I would have been quite so prepared if the husband of one of my clients hadn’t done something similar last month when his dog got attacked. Unfortunately, he was more seriously hurt but his story came into my head in that minuscule -what do I do now?- moment.
Then we did what the deers do and shook it off.
Now I understand where the phrase “shake it off” comes from. These past two years has given much for us to emotionally carry and while I’m no therapist, I do love passing on small stories that might encourage others to pause, think, or even explore hiring a therapist too.
Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. If you want to learn more, there is a whole chapter dedicated to Learning To Love Your Emotions in my latest book:
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Dedicated to growing your business,
Val
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