Nervous System Support & Self-Regulation: Why It Matters
I came across a post on social media recently that I wholeheartedly disagreed with. It was questioning the concept of self-regulation as a construct of the patriarchy. In contrast, I believe that the objective of the patriarchy is to keep us in fear, in uncertainty, and certainly in subservience. I wonder if the latter is what the author of the post was mistaking for self-regulation.
From my perspective, when we are in a fearful state, a menu of responses becomes available for survival: namely, fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. These are normal and predictable ranges of reactions to stressors both from the external environment, and from the our internal world, as well (think traumatic memories). When we are bombarded with confusing, chaotic, and disempowering information from any aspect of our reality, it can really take a toll on our nervous system, and therefore, our bodies.
But fear not, our nervous system is NOT fragile. In contrast, our nervous system is strong and resilient. And we can learn how to work with it so that we don’t get stuck in a relentless feedback loop of stress, worry, and anxiety—all of which take a toll on our mental and physical health.
This is important because when we are coming from a place of FEAR, we REACT. When we are coming from a place of REGULATION, we RESPOND. Having a regulated nervous system helps us to pause, gather the necessary information to make an informed response or decision, and to act on that from a grounded place. We become empowered by our level-headedness, if you will.
As an occupational therapist and energy medicine practitioner, I deeply value nervous system regulation as a jumping off place for the energetic work. When we are more regulated, energy flows more easily. We are not grasping, forcing, or swimming against stream. We can access a feeling of safety, which then leads to the ability to create, explore, respond, act accordingly, keep our hearts open, and ultimately access our intuition from a grounded place.
If you are feeling at a loss at the moment, fear not. There are many things that you can do to improve the state of your nervous system, and get out of fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses. Here are a few:
Journal your feelings. I love to use a “dump” journal for this. I write out what is bothering me. What I’m annoyed or enraged about. I personally like to burn these pages during the full moon, as a release. (You can also rip the pages or use a shredder). You are writing them down to release them, not to anchor them. There is a difference.
Get into your body. Go for a walk, exercise, shake, jump, bounce, dance, BREATHE. Say this affirmation: “I am safe to be in my body.”
Stimulate your sense of touch. Take a salt bath, use a lovely lotion or oil on your skin, cuddle up in a blanket or with a friend or family member, book a massage, practice dry brushing.
Take deep belly breaths. This stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps you to get calm and centered.
Ground your body. Take your shoes off in the grass, sand, or dirt. Eat grounding root veggies, meat, or chocolate. Drink water. Visualize a ray of light entering your body at the top of your head, and allow it to travel through your body, exiting at the base of your feet (or spine) and traveling to anchor you to the iron crystal core of the Earth.
Get into nature. Go for a walk, or a hike. Get outside and have a little “nature scavenger hunt” looking for sticks, pinecones, birds, rocks, etc. If you cannot do this, even looking at photos of nature can help to stimulate calm.
Look at the horizon. Studies show that when you are in a state of stress, looking at a horizon opens your visual field and in turn, your mind to the vast amount of possibilities. When stressed, we tend to get into tunnel vision, and aren’t as able to see the big picture.
Look at fractal patterns. Look at roses, pinecones, leaves, seashells, and other fractal patterns found in nature. They contain the Fibonacci Sequence, and looking at these objects (or images of the objects) for as little as 10-15 seconds can re set the nervous system.
Take a walk when processing difficult feelings. When you walk, your eyes have to scan different environments, which is a natural re set for the nervous system.
Smell a natural scent or essential oil. This has an immediate impact on your limbic system, and can evoke positive emotions. Citrus scents are very uplifting, and stimulate joy. Peppermint can help with alerting and focus. Woody scents like vetiver, cedarwood, and sandalwood can help with calming and relaxation. Bottom line: something that YOU like and make you feel good!
Look at something near, then at something far. This shifting of the gaze has an immediate impact on your nervous system.
Listen to binaural beats. The binaural beats stimulate whole brain responses, which turns on both hemispheres of your brain, which counteracts stress.
Find community. Having community is directly associated with longevity. Simply stated, we are stonger together.
These are simple tools that are accessible to most people. If you find yourself in need of further support, get in touch with a psychotherapist, attend a sound bath, find a grief circle, get some energy support. I offer 1:1 nervous system support as well as RE SET classes to help with your nervous system regulation at The Energetic Heart Studio. Find your tribe, and lean in.
Take good care, and keep breathing.
