Neuroscientists are studying and understanding that the nervous system is key to our health and well-being and plays a significant role in how we mentally, physically, and emotionally feel.
Let’s start with the basics of what the nervous system does.
The nervous system is a crucial part of our body’s functioning acting as the control center, regulating our responses to stimuli, and maintaining our bodily functions. It’s responsible for everything from your heartbeat to digestion and even the way you feel. While a regulated nervous system ensures optimal health, when it becomes dysregulated due to factors like chronic stress, trauma, or genetic predispositions, it can have a profound impact on our health and wellness.
The nervous system can be divided into two main parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
When our brain perceives a threat, it turns on the sympathetic nervous system, also known as our “fight or flight” response. When activated you can feel symptoms like your heart racing or beating rapidly, you start to perspire, and you might even start to feel anxious or like there is a pit in your stomach.
When the parasympathetic system is activated, it helps the body calm and recover from the threat. When you maintain a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, your body can respond appropriately to different situations, leading to better physical, mental, and emotional health.
Here is a short list of what the nervous system controls:
Brain growth and development
Sensations (such as touch or hearing)
Perception (the mental process of interpreting sensory information)
Thought and emotions
Learning and memory
Movement, balance, and coordination
Sleep
Healing and rehabilitation
Stress and the body’s responses to stress
Aging
Breathing and heartbeat
Body temperature
Hunger, thirst, and digestion
Puberty, reproductive health, and fertility
A regulated nervous system ensures that our body can adapt to the changes in our environment and maintain a state of homeostasis or harmony in the body. This involves processes like regulating our body’s response to stressors, sleep regulation, appetite and digestion, mood management, focus and attention, and the general functioning of all our bodily systems.
Dysregulation of the nervous system can have a profound impact on most of the functions in our bodies. Many people are unaware that this is the underlying cause of many of the symptoms they experience.
The nervous system can become dysregulated by a variety of factors including diet, chronic or extended periods of stress, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, and genetics.
How to tell if your nervous system is dysregulated?
Are you feeling constantly overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure?
Do you feel like you are one moment away from exploding, throwing in the towel, you just can’t do this anymore?
Are you reacting vs. responding to situations?
Do you have chronic pain or illness?
When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep? Well…. you can’t remember.
Are you spending a lot of time scrolling social media instead of focusing on the task at hand?
Are you experiencing digestive issues?
Is having sex the LAST thing on the planet you want to do?
You are literally in “survival mode”.
Behavioral Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation:
Thrill-seeking behaviors or not knowing how to feel unless engaged in intense experiences can also look like workaholism, toxic relationships, hypervigilance always anticipating the worst, and being easily triggered into anger or violence.
Ways to regulate your nervous system that aren’t expensive and bring you immediate relief:
Alternate Nostril Breathing- https://youtu.be/GuBI8K-Ud1g
Meditation- many meditation apps are free. I recommend Insight Timer Insight Timer — #1 Free Meditation App
Take your shoes off and connect with Mother Earth
Go for a nature hike or spend time outside in nature
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping 101 – Learn the Basics of the Tapping Technique (thetappingsolution.com)
Movement of the body which can include working out, yoga, or dancing in the kitchen to your favorite song
Put on one of your favorite comedies and laugh!
Rest! Put down the electronics and give your brain and body a much-needed nap.
Schedule a sound journey that can activate the parasympathetic nervous system through frequencies that impact our brainwaves preparing the body for rest and digestion.
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