A Regulated Nervous System is the New Flex

Emotional regulation may sound complex or boring, but at its core, it's about managing your feelings in a healthy way. To unravel this mystery, let's take a look at the superhero behind the scenes – your nervous system. Think of it as the conductor of your internal orchestra, influencing how you feel and respond to life's ups and downs.

Getting to Know Your Nervous System:

  • Central Nervous System (CNS): It's like the brain's main office, handling all the thinking and decision-making.

  • Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): This is the messenger system, sending signals between your brain and the rest of your body.

Emotional Regulation and the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS):

  • Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): When you face challenges, this part revs up your energy, getting you ready for action. It's like the gas pedal in your car. This is part of you where Fight/Flight/Freeze comes from. 

  • Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): This is the brake pedal. It helps you relax and recover after dealing with stress. 

How Your Emotions Dance with Your Nervous System:

  • SNS Activation: When stress hits, the SNS jumps into action, making you feel emotions like fear or anxiety. Totally normal – it's your body's way of dealing with challenges.

  • PNS to the Rescue: After the stress passes, the PNS steps in, calming everything down and bringing you back to a balanced state. We activate our PNS when we exercise, take deep breaths, do yoga etc. 

What Happens with Too Much Stress:

  • Chronic Stress: If the gas pedal (SNS) is pushed too hard without using the brakes (PNS), it can lead to chronic stress. This may contribute to feeling overwhelmed or having a hard time managing your emotions. 

  • When we are in a constant state of fight/flight/freeze we have a constant output of cortisol, the stress hormone, flooding your body. This much cortisol has negative ramifications for both your physical and mental health. For example; impaired immune function, weight gain, digestive issues, cardiovascular effects, impaired cognitive function, sleep disturbances, impaired blood sugar regulation, muscle and bone issues and reproductive health issues. As you can see, managing your stress and finding ways to activate our PNS is vital for our health.

Easy Strategies for Emotional Balance:

  • Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices help activate the calming PNS, reducing stress.

  • Breathing Exercises: Take a deep breath! Simple breathing techniques can shift your body from stress mode to relaxation.

  • Physical Activity: Moving your body regularly helps keep your nervous system in balance.

Your Journey to Feeling Good:

  • By understanding how your nervous system, it’s importance and how to regulate it, you gain the power to navigate life's emotional rollercoaster more smoothly.

  • Try simple strategies like breathing exercises or mindfulness to support a happy, healthy nervous system. Just implementing a 2 minutes deep breathing exercise on your way to work can create positive change and balance out the duel of your SNS and PNS.

It's all about finding the balance between your gas pedal (SNS) and brake pedal (PNS). After reading this you may realize you spend a lot more time with SNS and need to incorporate some quality time with your PNS. The more you understand this dance, the more equipped you become to lead a life filled with emotional well-being and resilience. Contact Village Counseling today for more assistance in your emotional regulation.

Rebecca Cumberland