Homeostasis keeps us alive. It is the tendency for balance within systems, especially within the bodies of living organisms. Body temperature in mammals, for example, is regulated internally. A mammal works hard at maintaining a consistent internal temperature. In a human being, that temperature is approximately 98 degrees, give or take a degree of variance. Our bodies burn fuel in an effort to keep it within a certain range. When it’s cold, we shiver to burn more fuel and generate heat. When it’s hot, we sweat to give our bodies a layer of moisture that helps radiate heat through our skin. Shiver. Sweat. Shiver again. It’s all designed to keep that temperature stable.
There are countless systems and interactions going on within our bodies aimed at maintaining an overall, homeostatic state. Homeostasis also applies to systems outside of our bodies. Ecological systems can be said to be in homeostasis when the environment provides the organisms living within it everything they need to maintain stable populations. The ratio of predator to prey contributes to the homeostatic state of the ecological system, too. Too many of either can have a devastating effect, overall, sending the entire system into chaos. Pollution, rainfall, rate of growth, and rate of decay are other variables that affect these ecological systems. Balance between them all is essential.
Homeostasis, then, is a very good thing.
Until it’s not.
Homeostasis becomes an issue when it is applied to the inner workings of the human mind. Homeostasis is good for the biology stuff, for sure. It’s when the cognitive stuff kicks in that homeostasis can be troublesome. When we experience extremes in life, the tendency is to have extreme reactions to the experience. These reactions are both cognitive and emotional. I differentiate the two as process of mind (cognitive or what you think) and process of heart (emotional or what you feel). Regardless of terminology, they are extreme cognitive and emotional reactions to extreme stimuli. These stimuli elicit thoughts and feelings that fall outside our normal range.
If we won the lottery, we’d feel euphoric. If we lost a limb, we’d feel destitute. The influx of money would likely lead to weeks and months of “floating on cloud nine,” while the loss of function would likely lead to weeks and months of struggle and depression. However, what research has found is that people who experience such extremes tend to revert, over time, to a set-point, a level of cognitive and emotional being that is characteristic of the individual. In other words, once they get past the extreme reaction to the extreme event, they go back to equilibrium. It’s almost as if a sort of balance exists for our thoughts and feelings. There are peaks and valleys, but the inclination is to get back to “normal.” That’s homeostasis.
The problem is that homeostasis becomes a barrier to happiness and overall well-being when we look to change, to move outside our range of normal. As we attempt to change, something pulls us back to our old patterns, habits, and ways of being. Our bodies don’t like extremes, and our minds don’t like extremes, either. But extremes are what are required to move outside of comfort zones and effect real change.
As the calendar year winds down, our thoughts and feelings will likely move to extremes, potentially motivating us and hardening our resolve to do things differently in our lives. When the new year arrives, the bias will be towards action. The bias generally does not last long. Whether or not action actually yields results depends on the ability of the individual to overcome homeostasis. Knowing that, we can plan in advance and develop interventions to keep us from regressing to the mean.
Illuminate Possibilities 