How well do you know your nervous system?

Not just the theory of nervous systems, but also your own unique nervous system?

Do you understand your stressors?

Do you know how to self-regulate?

If the answer to these questions is no, it might be time for some self-discovery.

If you have a regulated nervous system, it means your sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) systems are working in balance and proportionately, and in today’s modern world that is no small achievement!  

If you have a dysregulated nervous system, then these two systems are out of balance, and finding a state of equilibrium could be difficult.

As the pace of life continues to increase, and the cultural norm of being switched on and responsive 24/7 continues to infiltrates our lives, it is no surprise that stress related (i.e. dysregulation) illnesses are on the rise (as mentioned in my last blog post), with the activation of the stress system causing 75 – 90% of illness.

This blog post will help you understand your nervous system a little better, and inspire you to take action for your wellness.

It’s not just our day -to-day stresses that leave us dysregulated, but also unresolved trauma and emotional wounds.  If these have not been processed and integrated, then the experiences remain stored in your body somatically, energetically, and subconsciously, contributing to how you feel in this present moment.

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Your ANS is a complex system that regulates all the things you do without thinking about them. You do not have conscious control of it, and it is responsible for interpreting and responding to signals of safety and danger.

Not everyone responds to these signals in the same way. What is perceived as dangerous to one person, may feel safe to another. By learning to understand your responses, you are empowered to make choices that improve your wellbeing and create a more harmonious life.

Does this sound like a good idea?  Yes? Then please keep reading!

Before I move on, I want to give a distinction between real danger and perceived danger.  In this article I am referring to perceived danger – where logically, you know you are safe and not in harms way, but your nervous system has a different interpretation, and therefore activates into a fight, flight or freeze response, preparing to defend you.

What is fight, flight and freeze?

When danger is perceived, you will be mobilized to either fight the danger, or flee from it.  Adrenaline courses through your body, your heart rate increases and non-essential processes such as digestion are placed on hold.  You might be more emotionally reactive in this state until the danger has passed.

Where your nervous system determines that fighting or fleeing are not available options, you may go into a freeze or collapse response. You could feel overwhelmed or powerless, and your body shuts down.  Immobilized, unresponsive, and potentially numb, until the threat has passed. 

The main aim of your nervous system is safety & survival.  It will automatically programmed to do what is necessary to survive.  It is a marvellous and incredible built in protection system that has evolved as humans have.

The challenge is when we become dysregulated, and our fight/flight/freeze responses become hyperactive or stuck in the ‘on’ position.

What triggers my fight, flight & freeze?

Your ANS is constantly monitoring your environment for cues of safety and danger.  It is your internal defence system.  So any threat, or perceived threat will trigger a response.  There are many possible triggers in your everyday environment, including room lighting, noise levels, temperature, physical space, people’s body language, behaviour, facial expressions, tone of voice – and this is not an exhaustive list!

How your unique nervous system interprets these signals depends greatly on your past experiences and your core belief system – is the world a safe place? Or, is it a dangerous place?

You are, subconsciously, looking at the world through your unique lens of past experiences. Even though you can’t recollect every moment from your past, it is influencing you in the present, triggering automatic reactivity patterns and behaviours.

As your ANS scans the environment, it will be referencing your ‘memory bank’ to interpret what’s being detected, and to decide how to respond. 

If your ‘filter’ (as mine was) is distorted by a traumatic past and painful emotional imprints, you might spend more time in fight/flight/freeze, and less time in safety. This disharmony is harmful for your wellbeing.

Awareness is empowerment

This article is here to raise your awareness and empower you to take steps that facilitate improved regulation and wellbeing.

It has become so ‘normal’ in our culture, that chronic dysregulation is going unnoticed until people reach crunch point – for me, that was a major burnout. Whilst it ultimately became my breakthrough, I would not wish that experience on anyone.

Turning things around

There is increasing evidence that shows sustained activation of the fight/flight/freeze responses can dramatically affect your wellbeing, and have long term health implications. But the good news is, its possible to create big shifts with incremental changes. Here are some simple suggestions to get you started. 

Lifestyle changes:

I advocate not even trying to keep up with the modern pace of life. Yes really.  Begin to ask yourself regularly whether xyz on your to-do list can be:

• ditched – can you just let it go?

• delegated – can someone else do it or help you with it?

• done – it really needs to be done by you. (If yes, ask yourself is this is really true?)

Claim the first 30-minutes of the day as yours.  Have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ policy in your household (except for emergencies and unavoidable responsibilities). During these 30-minutes:

• Keep your phone switched off or on silent, and avoid media of any kind

• Move your body (stretch, dance, shake it out) or try meditating

• Take some time outside to breathe in fresh air, even if you just stand in the garden with a cuppa!

Regulation tools:

There are a lot of regulation tools out there to support you. I share more of these in the ‘Know your Nervous System’ journey I offer, which is a one-to-one 90 minute personalized nervous system mapping process.

Here is one of my favourite breathing techniques for you to try, called 'voo' breathing, which you can use reactively (when you feel activated) and proactively (to help build resilience).

Step 1 – Deep breath: Take a deep breath in, fill your whole belly and chest

Step 2 – Make a ‘voo’ sound: As you exhale, make the sound ‘voo’ so that you feel the vibration in your throat and chest.  Keep going until all breath has been expelled from your belly and chest.

Step 3 - Repeat: Do this at least 3 to 5 times.  Incorporate it daily to build resilience.  You will probably start to yawn as your ‘rest & digest’ (parasympathetic) nervous system comes back online.

An invitation

I invite you to try these for 30-days and notice how you feel. Keep a brief journal to monitor the changes you experience with consistent practice.

I’d love to help you know your nervous system more thoroughly, and share incredible tools & techniques with you.  The ‘Know your Nervous System’ journey is just £75 at the moment.  This 90-minute Zoom session will give you a personalized nervous system map and toolkit. 

Simply click here and request more information or book your session via the Contact Carli page.