When we experience anxiety, stress, or overwhelm, it's often because our nervous system is dysregulated.
•
CO-CEO, NEUROFIT
1 MINUTE READ
•
UPDATED MAY 17, 2023
ANXIETY, 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.
EXCESSIVE SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY
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.
BUILDING RESISTANCE TO ANXIETY WITH EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
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.
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.
NeuroFit is a nervous system trainer. Through daily check-ins, biometric measurements via your phone's camera, and tailored exercises, it removes stress at the source. Available for iOS & Android.
Dysregulation is when the nervous system stops functioning properly and perceives events as stressful or overwhelming due to high allostatic load (baseline stress level). This happens when its baseline has moved significantly away from the default ventral vagal state, often due to chronic stress, trauma, poor sleep, and poor diet. This brings about a variety of problems, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and even autoimmune disease.
Learn about the nervous system and relieve stress at the source with NeuroFit - available for iOS and Android.
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response. This is the body's natural response to a perceived threat. The sympathetic nervous system kicks in and prepares the body to either fight the threat or run away from it. The body's heart rate increases, blood flow to the muscles increases, and the body releases adrenaline and other hormones.
Learn about the nervous system and relieve stress at the source with NeuroFit - available for iOS and Android.
Nervous System Fitness is the degree of flexibility and resilience of one's nervous system. The name implies that the nervous system can be trained and strengthened, much like physical fitness.
Learn about the nervous system and relieve stress at the source with NeuroFit - available for iOS and Android.