Whether you’re waiting for your first date at the bar, having a great job interview, or striking up a difficult conversation, at some point your heart may be so excited that you accidentally swallowed it. .. A small woodpecker for your night walk.
These stressful moments reflect our lives and there is not much we can do about it. In fact, it is perfectly normal to feel anxious and stressed at times depending on the circumstances involved.
However, being overly stressed indicates that the nervous system is damaged. Regularly experiencing fatigue, anxiety, depression, brain fog, gastrointestinal issues, and/or unstable energy levels function in a chronic “fight or flight” condition Indicates there may be.
The good news is that understanding the physiology behind this condition can help you rewire your brain and body, adjust your nervous system, and respond more smoothly to the demands of your daily life.
How does regulation of the nervous system work?
Chronic stress is the result of the nervous system getting stuck in a fight or flight mode (or the lesser-known “freeze” or “freezing” mode). What does this mean?
Your body will go into a fight or flight mode depending on the threatening situation. Evolutionarily, it may have been a buzzing predator in the bushes, but today it seems like a terrifying owner or keeper whose love is unreliable. Your body describes these situations as dangerous, so it will sound an alarm if something similar happens in the future.
This mechanism was essential when the threat really meant life or death, but in the most recent scenarios, running a program designed to combat past threats can have disastrous consequences.
Suddenly the situation becomes completely safe in reality, but to remind you of past experiences coded as dangerous to the nervous system, your heart rate increases, your body tenses up and you begin to sweat, and you can completely freeze. This is another situation, and you experience immense anxiety, even though you reasonably know you don’t have to panic.
If your first boss has always been critical of your performance, you may always feel stressed about your new job, even if the manager is friendly and appreciative of your contributions.
If you have an unpredictable parent who gets upset over a small mistake, you may be afraid of the other person and overly apologetic every time you slip up, even if the other person is kind and understanding.
But you are not meant to live a life of protection. With constant practice, you can regulate your nervous system. Instead of activating the fight or flight branch known as the sympathetic nervous system, it can be trained to respond to its “rest and process” counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system.
6 Easy Ways to Regulate and Calm Your Nervous System More
You probably know more about regulating the nervous system than you think. Should yoga, breathing and meditation be provided to people? It’s not a mystery cure for depression or anxiety, it’s self-regulation.
But if dressing up in a pretzel isn’t your tea, have no fear. There are many other ways to regulate the nervous system, but they are often not mentioned.
bilateral stimulation
When fighting, fleeing or going into mode, all mental energy is directed to one area of ​​the brain, the amygdala. The amygdala is designed to keep you alive and safe in dangerous situations. As a result, the lower right hemisphere of your brain experiences excessive EEG frequencies.
You can calm your brain simply by refocusing and redistributing energy.
Pick up the object and slowly move it from left to right, following it with your eyes. Alternatively, search YouTube for videos of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) with hand movements and light tracking. This redirects nerve energy and stimulates both sides of the brain.
Many people are so relaxed that they fall asleep, which is also a treatment for insomnia caused by anxiety.
hit the sun
One of the best ways to keep your nervous system fully charged is to regulate your circadian rhythm, or your body’s sleep/wake cycle. In addition to the usual advice, go to bed and get up at the same time every day, clean your smartphone a few hours before bed, etc. -Make sure you expose yourself to the sun first thing in the morning.
This signals that it is time to go into “wake-up” mode and make sure the nervous system is still working.
Exposure to morning sunlight also promotes sound sleep, and the better you sleep, the less stress your nervous system will have throughout the day.
Vitamin B
All the nerves in your body are protected by a sheath called the myelin sheath. Impaired myelin sheaths are associated with neurological imbalances such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The wear and tear of the membranes, although not as extreme, can affect the general function and health of the nervous system.
Taking the right amount of B vitamins can help keep your nerves healthy. Folic acid, in particular, protects nerves from chemicals that can cause damage.
To improve your folic acid intake, try including spinach, pomegranates, and beets in your diet.
In addition, vitamins B1, B6 and B12 contribute to the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, serotonin and norepinephrine. They play an important role in the functioning of the nervous system and prevent depression and anxiety.
exposure to cold water
One way to teach your body to feel safe in stressful situations is to expose it to cold. When the cold activates our fight or flight modes and teaches our body to consciously relax in (safe) moments of discomfort, we open the window of tolerance and make the nervous system more elastic.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to go through the torture of a cold shower every day to enjoy the benefits. Whether you’re digging into icy water or bravely plunging your face in, start where you feel most comfortable.
rest chin
Clenching our jaws is one of our most primitive fighting instincts, and many of us do it unknowingly due to stress.
The situation is chicken or egg. Sometimes stress causes the jaw to clench, but chronic stress makes it a second property, clenching the jaw randomly throughout the day. This can let your body know you’re in combat mode and stress you out for no reason.
By raising awareness and consciously dropping your chin, you say that there is no danger to the nervous system and it is safe to relax.
A particularly good time for this exercise is during sleep. Tilt your head back slightly to reduce the pressure on your chin and try to sleep. Sleep quality can also improve.
digital detox
The well-being of your nervous system depends on your sense of predictability, as unexpected situations trigger your fight-and-flight response.
Participating in social networks without borders makes the nervous system always vulnerable to external influences, be it original messages or disturbing news.
By consciously choosing when to check messages and consume certain types of content, you prevent your nervous system from being exposed to these outside influences at any time.
Turn off notifications so anyone you want can choose to see your post.
Whether you’re jealous or depressed about news coverage, consider deleting or muting your power-hungry account. If you want to complete this content, you can at least choose it at the right time.
last thought
Solving problems with your own hands can be incredibly empowering when it comes to managing chronic stress and anxiety.
Still, keep in mind that your life is not one big self-improvement project. Do your best to carry out this practice in a way that is fruitful for you, and do not try too hard when you experience the difficulties of being.
You are human, the ups and downs are part of the experience.
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Source: Metro
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
