Hunting and Nesting: Lessons from Eagle
Here in Oregon, magnificent Bald Eagles are working on their nests and will likely lay their eggs in early March.
Photo by Marika Moffitt via Wonder Portals
I love knowing that these fierce predators, with beaks that can rip into flesh and yellow eyes that are aflame, are building soft and tender nests for their young. Their sharp talons may not be wrapped around an abundance of food right now, but they can gather sticks and grass while they wait for the bounty that is (hopefully) to come. Watching Eagles and other birds of prey is one of my favorite pastimes, and the bare trees of Winter make it easier to observe them as they rest and nest.
One of the lessons I've learned from predators like Eagle is how to shift between hunting mode and not-hunting mode.
In an economic system where money and resources are intentionally kept scarce, it's difficult to feel like we can ever stop "hunting." We may not be consciously bought into hustle and grind culture, but I find that there is still a predator sense that's constantly activated, where I'm always on the lookout for what I can have, who's taking what, will there be enough, etc. Even when my belly is full, there's a roof over my head, and I have a source of income, it can still feel like I always need to be hunting, expending energy in pursuit of more.
Even the most accomplished hunters like Eagle know that it's not healthy to be on the hunt at all times. Hunting is stressful. It requires total focus, speed, and the willingness to kill. These days, many people are being forced into situations where they have to hunt constantly in order to make ends meet or tolerate being hunted / bullied / disrespected inside of workplaces just to pay the bills.
So many of us need more of the downshift into not-hunting mode, when we can tend to our nests and prepare ourselves for Spring's return.
This makes me think of a book titled Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. In the book they talk about the fact that stressors are inevitable, and that what's essential is not avoiding stress altogether, but completing the stress response cycle. Among our Eagle friends, this might look like enjoying the satisfaction of having fresh fish to eat and then flying away from the river to recover on a perch high above.
Completing the stress response cycle is what aids in our recovery from the stressors we're encountering and helps us remember that we don't have to be hunting all the time. It turns out that completing the cycle takes some intention, and it's possible that our usual ways of decompressing aren't giving our bodies the "it's safe now" signals that we actually need.
In their book, the Nagoski sisters list seven evidence-based ways to complete the stress response cycle:
Physical activity. They write, "Physical activity is the single most efficient strategy for completing the stress response cycle."
Breathing (slowly and deeply)
Positive Social Interaction
Laughter
Affection
A Big Ol' Cry
Creative Expression
I know that these may look kind of trivial given the state of our world right now and how much urgent need there is, but imagine how you would feel if you were completing even 50% of your stress response cycles with some of these practices, each time giving yourself a felt sense of safety. Personally, I think that would elicit major change and help me conserve a lot of energy for what's important.
So many of us are activated more often than is helpful, and that's not wholly our fault - this is an extremely activating way to live and an activating time in history. Animals like Eagle know how to move and connect after a hunt or a scary encounter so that the experience is "shaken off" and not stored in their body long-term. By completing their stress response cycles, they maintain the energy they need to prepare their nest and, eventually, to hunt on behalf of those who will need their help to live.
We may not be able to stop the stressors from appearing, but every one of those seven strategies are free and readily available to help us come down from the hunt when we need to.