“Confounding
variables” is a concept in statistics where two or more discrete variables can
interact in such a way that it is impossible to determine which factor had the
greatest impact on the results of the study. Statistics was my least-favorite
class in college, but I remain very interested in the way confounding variables
affect so many areas of our lives, in “real” life. They impact our work and
personal relationships; they influence how we feel physically and emotionally
at different times of the day, week, month or year. Everything you see, smell,
taste, hear or touch can interact with another factor (or person) to produce a
specific response; but that reaction may be completely different in an hour or
if one of the stimuli changes.
For example, imagine
that you are sitting at your desk at work, about to open your mail. Your
colleague peeks over the top of the cubicle divider to invite you to join her
for lunch, and the cloying sweet scent of her perfume fills your nostrils. You
politely decline the invitation and start to open the first envelop when a wave
of nausea rolls over you. Whoa. You
skipped breakfast this morning; maybe you are hungrier than you thought, and a
low blood-sugar level triggered this symptom. Alternatively, your sensitivity
to strong smells, especially to perfumes and colognes, could have made you feel
queasy. It’s no wonder that this particular scent set you off, since your ex also
used to wear the same brand. Then you notice that the letter you just opened is
from a particularly demanding client; he wants to know why his last order still
hasn’t arrived. Cue the sense of panic, palpitations, shortness of breath and
cold sweat.
You know that each
of these stimuli can induce stress in you. The tricky thing about confounding
variables is that you may not be able to identify which one has triggered your
reaction at that moment. If you feel overwhelmed by what is going on around
you, take a moment or two to do diaphragmatic breathing to help you relax and
increase your ability to focus on what is going on inside and around you. (If
you feel overwhelmed while you are driving, pull your car over to the side of
the road or, even better, into a parking lot so you can concentrate on this
exercise.) Once you are feeling calmer, do a quick mental scan of what is going
on in your life at that moment that could have triggered the stress reaction or
anxiety. If you haven’t eaten in a long time, have a snack or a small meal that
contains protein to help regulate you blood-sugar level and alleviate symptoms
such as dizziness, irritability and confusion. (If you are experiencing physical symptoms of distress, such as chest
pain, seek medical help immediately.) I also recommend to my clients
that they do EFT (emotional-freedom technique) or “tapping” to individually
address the factors that they believe to be exacerbating their distress.
Remember that in
real life, as in research, it is necessary to identify and separate the factors
that influence our unwanted behavior so we can affect the changes we want to
make in our lives.
Sara
R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern
California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2014
