Have you ever asked yourself why is it that we cannot simply talk or think our way out of strong stress and old emotions?
This is why. By the time you realize that you are being triggered or that you’re having a stress reaction your body is far gone and stewing into a full-stress cocktail of cortisol, adrenaline, digestive disruption, and more. By then your heart has also changed its rhythm, you have stopped producing healing or repairing chemicals and your immune system slows down to help you survive the imminent danger.
But what if you are not in real imminent danger, what if you did not get into an accident, nor were you attached or went through some natural disaster?… Then what? How do you help your body reconcile thousands of years of evolution with the fact that you are under stress due to a deadline, you just argued with a loved one, or your child is sick?
You’ve heard me talk about the Polyvagal theory and the vagus nerve, this nerve is a bio-directional information highway that connects the mind and the body. In our modern world with its challenges, this highway is affected and needs regular “repair or maintenance”, but most people don’t know what to do. That’s why your disrepaired autonomic nervous system can lead you to experience more anxiety, and depression, overwhelmed or shut down.
The work we can do to maintain and repair this highway results in you better coping with stress by regulating, meaning going back to functioning physiologically and psychologically in harmony and experiencing safety again.
How can you get started? The need for repair and maintenance requires somatic work. That means working with breathing and movement, orienting your senses, or using your voice and touch in specific ways that access specific nerves. Another way is co-regulating (connecting with people who are regulated).
Is this a trick? Not really. It is a wise lifestyle choice, but sometimes it feels like you are tricking your body into feeling safe again. You just need to get started with some guidance, repetition, and patience until you can do your own “repair” work.
Do you need guidance?
If you live in Central Florida I invite you to give your super highway a good “Spring Maintenence”. Check the link below to learn about my Nervous system restoration day.
Nervous System Restoration Day in Orlando
This mini urban retreat is a “one-of-a-kind” and gentle dive into your system so you can understand and feel for yourself what I am trying to convey with words.
The ability to modulate your responses by working with your autonomic nervous system is the best gift you can give yourself. This group caps at six people so you can expect intimate and personalized help. Get your spot before they are gone!
