The social nervous system is the system of nerves & neurons that support social & emotional interactions.
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CO-CEO, NEUROFIT
1 MINUTE READ
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UPDATED MAR 21, 2023
THE SOCIAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The social nervous system is the system of nerves and neurons that allow us to interact with others. It is responsible for our ability to communicate and to understand the emotions of others. The social nervous system is also responsible for our ability to regulate our emotions in the presence of others.
CO-REGULATION
Co-regulation is the process by which we regulate our emotions in response to the emotions of others. When we see someone who is happy, we tend to feel happy ourselves. When we see someone who is angry, we tend to feel angry ourselves. This is because the social nervous system allows us to understand and share the emotions of others.
MIRROR NEURONS
Mirror neurons are a type of neuron that is responsible for our ability to understand and share the emotions of others. Mirror neurons fire when we see someone else performing an action, such as reaching for a glass of water. They also fire when we hear someone else performing an action, such as clapping their hands. Mirror neurons allow us to understand the emotions of others by simulating the actions and emotions that we see in others.
Mirror neurons are an important part of the social nervous system. They allow us to understand and share the emotions of others. Mirror neurons also allow us to regulate our own emotions. When we see someone who is angry, we tend to feel angry ourselves. This is because mirror neurons allow us to understand and share the emotions of others.
BALANCING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH CO-REGULATION
Co-regulation is important when re-balancing the nervous system because the Social Nervous System is primarily activated in this way when we are in the presence of others. Many healing modalities often fall short by failing to address this, and group therapy is often noticeably more effective for the same reason. We are fundamentally social beings, and the nervous system is designed to be regulated by the presence of others as much as by ourselves.
80% of the nerves in the human body are "afferent" - running from body to brain. Under stress, when the nervous system and thinking brain tell different stories, the nervous system almost always wins.
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Social Attunement is the nervous system's automatic matching of the emotions of other people. The effect of this automatic process can be both positive or negative, depending on the state of the person being attuned to.
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Emotional contagion is the nervous system's automatic absorption of the emotions of other people. In these cases, the emotions are not one's own, but left unchecked, this can still lead to dysregulation.
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The ventral vagal nervous system state is a state of relaxation and calmness. It is characterized by slow and deep breathing, a slow heart rate, and a feeling of peace and openness.
Learn about the nervous system and relieve stress at the source with NeuroFit - available for iOS and Android.