ANXIETY, STRESS, OVERWHELM, & DYSREGULATION

When we experience anxiety, stress, or overwhelm, it is often because our nervous system is dysregulated. This means that our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated more than our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

The SNS is responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response, which is our body's natural response to perceived danger. This response is designed to help us protect ourselves from harm.

However, when the SNS is constantly activated, it can lead to a number of problems, including anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. This is because the SNS is not designed to be constantly activated. When this does happen, our body releases stress hormones, like cortisol and norepinephrine. Over time, the release of these stress hormones can become reinforced and lead to chronic stress.

Fortunately, feelings of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm can all be reduced by regulating the nervous system. This can be done through daily play, exercise and stillness practices which serve to strengthen the PNS, and by reducing additional stress input such as harmful substances, stressful online content, and social fatigue.

By doing so, we can prevent these feelings from becoming chronic, reduce their intensity when they do occur, help our bodies to rebalance themselves, and improve our overall quality of life.