my favourite mini nervous system habits
We’ve all heard about the nervous system and how integral it is to overall health, balancing the body, and connecting the mind. There are so many ways we hear about the topic of the Nervous System whether its through social media, friend recommendations or books we’re reading - but what does it actually mean to ‘balance the nervous system’?
First, we must start with a basic understanding. The Nervous System is made up of two parts: Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System.
The Central Nervous System (CNS) is made up of the brain & spinal cord and it’s main role is the command centre of the body: it interprets incoming sensory information and issues outgoing instructions (ex. it is how you react based on past experiences and current conditions).
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) functions as a communication line among our sensory organs, the brain and spinal cord, and glands or muscles. The PNS is then divided into 2 divisions
Sensory division is how the body carries information to the CNS
Motor division is how the body carries information from CNS to your organs. The Motor Division then has 2 parts:
Somatic Nervous System consciously controlling our skeletal muscles
Autonomic Nervous System involuntary, like our heart rate, breathing, secretion of hormones etc - the things that happen ‘automatically’ in our body
It’s within the Autonomic Nervous System that we find the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic
Parasympathetic is our rest & digest mode (where we would all love to be)
Sympathetic is fight or flight (high stress response, like running from a bear)
Before we consciously realize whats happening with our body, the body knows - it reacts faster than we can process information through our consciousness. Which is what leads me to nervous system health.
Old programming, mindsets, beliefs, past reactions, and learned experiences are all stored in the body. Your body takes stock in a way, it has an imaginary book of the the reactions you have had in life - it’s number one job is to keep you safe or it’s perceived safety.
We need the nervous system and fight or flight if were running from a bear and we need rest & digest to break down our food properly, digest, and absorb key nutrients to sustain life. Although, this is great when our only stress in life was scavenging for food or running from the threat of a tiger. But, in this day and age we have stressors surrounding us constantly, from work, home, traffic, deadlines, busy schedules, screen time, social media, blue light - I could go on and on.
So the current reality is, many of us live in a constant state of fight or flight - and this is where mini nervous system habits come in. The same way our body can recognize fear and run for its life - thats a learned behaviour/instinct, the body can also recognize and shift into rest & digest.
What we must teach the body is how to enter rest & digest - how to know we are safe.
In a constant state of fight or flight the nerves (our communication pathway) are not going to be like “hey I feel we’re running from a tiger but can you digest this food real quick?” no, it is going to store that food as fuel in the body to use while you keep running from the same tiger. We must send signals through the PNS to activate rest & digest so that we can calm the body and the mind - stress doesn’t just affect the mind. Stress signals are sent to the circulatory system (heart palpitations, inflammation), the respiratory system (allergies, congestion), the digestive system (IBS, constipation), the glandular system (diabetes, hypothyroidism), the skin (dry, eczema) and the reproductive system (menstruation and reproductive problems).
So as you see it is all so very interconnected - but enough with talking your ear off what can we actually do about it?
my favourite mini nervous system habits
Stand in the Grass: my absolute FAVOURITE method of calming the body. The Earth has a frequency and standing in grass can actually ground the body and calm the Nervous System. Whenever I am feeling in my head, scrambled energy or unaligned I try to take a moment to go touch grass. You’ve probably heard this a million and one times but trust me and go try it for yourself.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Method: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch or feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste. This technique interrupts the fight or flight response and forces your brain to connect into the present moment - this can help interrupt panic or overwhelming thoughts and ground you immediately - this was my absolute favourite technique to use when I was having a panic attack.
Understanding Signs & Signals Practice: When an emotion arises, gently notice where you feel it in your body, what’s going on situationally and name it. Write it down and return to your notes after 1 week to reflect:
Where do these emotions come from, and what need was present but unmet? What was my body trying to tell me?
This practice builds emotional awareness in real time, helping you recognize and understand what your body is trying to communicate to you through signs and signals.Gratitude Mindset Shifting: instead of the easy thoughts “omg can this car drive any slower?” “I’m going to be late this isn’t okay! I’m stressed!” “I messed up, I’m going to get fired” … or any of the other many, many overwhelming and overthinking negative thoughts circling the brain - replace them with the opposite. “I love that I have the ability to drive to my job” “I am so grateful for the speed I’m driving so I can arrive safely” “I am human and this one mess up does not equal my worth” etc etc. This shifts the body out of a complete stress response and tells your brain you’re safe and okay, which then amoung the nerves tells the body the same.
Fresh Air & Breathe: first thing in the morning step outside. Look up to the sky and take a big, deep breath and do a full body sigh as you release. Repeat this breathing cycle as many times as you feel you need to. Doing this first thing in the morning also helps to reset the circadian rhythm, very important for optimal nervous system functioning. This allows you to start off your day connected to yourself and already in a state of regulation - this way you are able to better adapt and shift through the things your day may throw at you … because if you’re not grounded in your body where are you?
Belly Breath Before a Bite: as you sit down to eat pause for a moment, take a deep breath & say thank you for the food on your plate. This even works if you’re eating on-the-go (not recommended but it happens). When we eat on the go the body is not present and neither is the mind - taking a deep breath connects the two and yourself into the present moment. As mentioned above when in a state of stress, in fight or flight, the body does not digest nor absorb nutrients - so we must breathe to shift into rest & digest.
A Minute to Reconnect: close your eyes and tune inward. Place a hand on your heart and one on your stomach, take a big deep breath and ask yourself the questions “what do I need right now? how can I acheive this?” Whatever the answer is listen to it - it may be some water, a stretch, or some more deep breaths - this connects you back into your body and shifts you out of fight or flight and into rest & digest
We’re not designed to live in a state of stress.
We must teach the body how to cope with stress, use techniques to rewire the brain to choose calm, and strengthen the mind-body connection.
Want to know more? Want an entire guide created uniquely for you? Outlining the exact ways to support your body with what it needs on a multi-level basis? Curoius about grounding methods, nervous system habits tailored just for you, nutrition to best support you and a cultivated ritual to bring you the balance you’re searching for?
