Balance is a very complex skill involving many different bodily systems needing to work together in order to function properly. Your mind also plays a role in your ability to stay upright particularly your emotional states and reactions. Emotions affect balance??!!! Here’s a client story-see if you agree.
A 75 year old client hired me specifically to help her improve her balance. Gail lived independently, was terrified of falling, injuring herself and being helpless on the ground.
When I asked her to stand on one foot to assess her baseline, Gail could not pick up her foot without immediately panicking (her term), tilting over and putting her hand on the countertop to right herself. She was aware of her emotional reaction (panic) and aware that her fear of falling was affecting her ability to improve her balance. Were other factors at play? Yes, however, the panic she felt initially overshadowed the other factors.
Feeling panicked about falling is a reasonable response. Whatever happened to her previously to associate balance with panic, the two elements were closely entwined. I was not going to logically dissuade her from feeling panicked. I wanted to shift Gail’s perspective on balance to bypass her panic reaction.
I had 2 goals for Gail: 1. Increase her confidence in her ability to balance
2. Understand practicing a new skill is often uncomfortable.
I needed to find a balance exercise she could be immediately successful at to help build her confidence and I needed to help her be ok with feeling uncomfortable.
To address the first goal, I created a balance challenge which she found safe(r) than standing on one leg and she used props as needed (hand on countertop for instance).
To address the second goal, I wanted her to note her discomfort, notice she was still staying upright. Over time she realized that feeling uncomfortable did not mean she would fall.
After several months’ work, Gail reported less mental panic and less fear of falling with the balance exercises. She observed she could stay upright in spite of feeling unsteady and uncomfortable.
I gradually added more challenging balance exercises to her program and we were able to eliminate the props.
She is currently able to stand on each leg without props for a short period of time with better stability. She is pleased with her progress and feels more confident in her abilities. Now we are able to work on other factors affecting her balance.
I appreciate that Gail was willing to work on a very challenging physical skill colored by an intense emotional state. Our minds can be our best friends or our worst enemies. And like Gail, you can choose.
