Nervous System Foundations 06 What Is A Healthy/Regulated NS

I want to talk a bit about what it means to have a healthy nervous system or a regulated nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system is a part of our peripheral nervous system,

Our autonomic nervous system.

The goal of having a regulated or a healthy nervous system is to actually not necessarily be in a constant state of parasympathy or rest digest.

It's to actually be able to navigate between these systems seamlessly.

We're not meant to be stuck in one or the other at all times.

We are meant to be able to navigate this and to come down from a threat quickly and elegantly.

A happy,

Healthy nervous system will be able to navigate those both with ease.

A nervous system that is stuck in either or is a dysregulated nervous system.

Typically,

We see people stuck in more of a sympathetic state.

However,

It is possible to get stuck in more of a parasympathetic state.

We'll dive into that in a second here.

When we're stuck in a fight or flight state or a sympathetic state,

What happens is our body stays in this state where we are more concerned with survival in the moment.

That's well and good if we've got an immediate threat.

We're hiking and we see a bear or something that is a threat to our immediate survival.

However,

When we are constantly consumed with this concern with survival in the short term,

Then our long-term survival gets put on the back burner.

Meaning our body gets stuck in a state of heightened blood pressure,

Heightened respiratory rate and heightened heart rate,

Which can really stress the cardiovascular system.

It can lead to inflammation of the arteries and the heart and cardiovascular disease and so on and so forth.

Our immune system isn't getting the nourishment and the blood flow that it needs.

We can end up in a state where we're having low immune function.

We're maybe kind of get that feeling where we're on the verge of being sick or maybe we are sick.

Maybe we have a full-on autoimmune condition as a result of this.

Other things that can look like are gut issues.

Gut issues are huge when it comes to dysregulation.

We're not getting an adequate amount of digestive function as well as blood flow in the digestive system,

Which can lead to all sorts of things.

A sluggish digestive system,

Constipation or an overactive digestive system,

We can have things like an IBS.

Reflux is a big part of that.

These are all symptoms of dysregulation or being stuck in more of a sympathetic state.

Other things like a low libido,

Loss of interest in anything sexual is a huge piece of that as well.

So dysregulation can look very different for many people.

Another big symptom of it is increased muscle tension and pain as a result of that.

That's because when we're stuck in fight or flight,

Our muscles tend to tense up so that they are just that much more primed for movement.

So yeah,

That loss of relaxation in the muscles can contribute to physical pain.

Eventually,

That can end up with different myalgias,

Fibromyalgia.

These types of chronic pain issues can be a result of a dysregulated nervous system.

So dysregulation is typically caused by stress and by trauma.

Stress is everywhere in our lives,

And most diseases are stress-related diseases.

It's usually as a result of a dysregulated nervous system.

Dealing with stress is one of the most important pieces to having a healthy regulated nervous system.

Before we go into some of these things that can be supportive of regulating a nervous system,

I want to touch on being stuck in a parasympathetic state as well.

This is a state where we can't really find arousal.

We can't increase our stimulus.

We have really low energy levels.

Depression tends to be when we're stuck in more of a parasympathetic state.

Our body just doesn't have the resources or the energy to even bounce up in the response of a stress.

This is where we have complete apathy.

So it is important to note that both can be a state of dysregulation,

And it's not just being stuck in a sympathetic state.

So being regulated is really working on our body and providing ourselves with tools that allow us to navigate both of these systems with good efficiency and elegance.

There's lots of things that are really,

Really important and really helpful for doing this.

I do just want to mention that trauma is something that's really important to be addressed by a certified practitioner.

There's lots of great modalities out there that can help with addressing trauma,

And when trauma exists in the system,

They can absolutely contribute to dysregulation,

And it is really important to work through trauma with a certified practitioner.

In the meantime,

There are lots of really great tools that we can use just for stress management and for nervous system regulation in general.

So some of my favourite things,

And this list is by no means exhaustive,

But one of the most important things that you can do for regulating your nervous system is get good quality sleep.

Rest is also really important,

And I'm not talking like slumping on the couch,

Scrolling through Instagram,

Or like,

You know,

Not moving and stressing laying down.

I'm talking actually true.

Turn the devices off,

Turn the brain off,

Rest,

And you do not need to earn rest.

You can rest at any time.

It is essential to nervous system.

Exercise is another fantastic way to support regulating the nervous system,

And I do like to think,

Especially at the beginning,

Gentle exercise is better.

So things like walking and yoga,

Gentle weight lifting,

These things are fantastic for regulating the nervous system.

The reason why exercise is so potent is other things that are fantastic are meditation and mindfulness,

And there's a difference between these two.

Mindfulness is the act of being present no matter what you're doing.

Meditation is a very specific form of mindfulness where we're actually,

You know,

Either listening to something guided or we're just silence for several minutes and having a moment where we're being just mindful of what's happening in the body.

That can look very,

Very different for everyone else,

But it is different than pure mindfulness.

Other things that are really helpful for the nervous system are things like shaking.

It's a really powerful way to regulate the nervous system,

And it doesn't necessarily have to be like a sit and shake.

It can be dancing.

It can be,

You know,

Like shaking it out.

It can be whatever it looks like to you.

Shaking is a really powerful way to regulate the nervous system.

Some other things include being out in nature.

Nature never ceases to amaze me.

I'm forever in awe anytime I'm out in nature.

Lastly,

What I want to touch on in terms of regulating the nervous system is connection.

Connection with other humans or with animals,

Whatever feels safe to you.

As humans,

We are meant to be in communication and in connection with others.

If you think about,

You know,

The last phone call you had where you just caught up with a friend,

How did you feel when you hung up the phone,

You know,

When you went for coffee with that friend,

Or,

You know,

You just sat on the couch and cuddled with your partner.

Human connection,

And even more specifically,

Human touch or animal,

You know,

If you're cuddling with your dog.

These things are so calming to the nervous system and really,

Really help to regulate.

I know that there's lots and lots and lots of more fantastic modalities for regulating the nervous system.

Those are the ones that,

You know,

We've touched on today.

Thanks a lot for listening,

And I hope that you're feeling maybe a little more regulated after watching this.

Thanks.