These days, the term Nervous System is popping up everywhere. And it’s no wonder why, in today’s busy and often chaotic world, many people are experiencing overwhelm and anxiety. It’s essential to understand the nervous system and how paramount it is in helping us manage stress. Here we will explore what the nervous system is, why it matters so much, and why understanding it is more important now than ever before.
What is the Nervous System?
The nervous system is a network in our bodies that sends messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It has two main parts:
Central Nervous System (CNS): This includes the brain and spinal cord, which process information and control body functions.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): This consists of all the nerves outside the CNS, connecting the CNS to limbs and organs.
To simplify, the nervous system helps us respond to what’s happening around us and inside our bodies.
So Why Is the Nervous System So Important?
It Regulates Body Functions and controls things we don’t consciously think about, like our heart rate and digestion.
It Affects Emotions and plays a vital role in how we feel and respond to stress.
It Enables Communication and ensures our body systems work together smoothly, keeping us functioning optimally.
How Does Stress Affect the Nervous System?
When we experience stress, our bodies react by triggering the “fight or flight or freeze” response. This is when our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. While this is helpful for short-term stress, constant stress can keep our bodies on high alert, leading to:
Anxiety
Depression
Heart problems
Digestive issues
Burnout
By understanding how stress interacts with the nervous system, we can better manage our responses to stress.
Why Is Understanding the Nervous System Trending So Much Now?
Coping with modern life, especially recently, due to various global challenges (such as the pandemic, politics, war, economics, etc), many people are experiencing anxiety. As life gets busier and more complex, there is a constant yearning for ways to manage stress effectively, and to promote peace and mental wellbeing.
Some effective ways to calm down your nervous system and reduce stress are listed here:
Mindfulness: Practicing being present and in the moment can help you balance and relax.
Breathing Exercises: Deep breathing can slow your heart rate and help you feel more at ease.
Healthy Eating: Having a balanced diet with good fats, complex carbs, high protein and vitamins can support your nervous system and gut health.
Regular Exercise: Physical activity helps release feel-good hormones and reduces stress.
Spending Time in Nature: Being outdoors can refresh your mind, relieve stress and rejuvenate your spirit.
Holistic Practices: There's a growing trend especially with Gen Z towards whole body healing. This includes practices like yoga and meditation that help tone down the nervous system using breath and body awareness.
Therapeutic modalities: Seeking help from a holistic practitioner for services such as life coaching/counseling, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, and spa therapies all aim to calm and downregulate your nervous system through mind/body healing.
Wellness rituals: Relaxing the nervous system by using slow living practices such as aromatherapy baths, home spa treatments, sound healing, and journaling, are some rituals you can use to help you unwind, unplug, find balance and breathe easier during your week.
In a fast paced world, creating space for stillness and slowing down a racing mind is really important. These days, having the tools and methods to powerfully reset and soothe your nervous system is very necessary. Stress is inevitable, but the goal is to be able to release, recharge and return to daily life feeling rested, reconnected and more resilient. It’s not about silencing the mind, it’s more about listening to the deep inner wisdom within and returning home to your true self. Remember to be gentle, take your time and allow yourself the grace to find what works best for you.
Here are some free nervous system regulators (as shared on @DailyOM)
Hugs
Yoga
Singing
Shaking
Exercise
Sleeping
Laughter
Humming
Grounding
Meditation
Warm baths
Pet therapy
Cold exposure
Forest bathing
Deep breathing
Gentle stretching
Mindful observation
As wellness doctors at our office, we offer many chiropractic techniques to provide nervous system healing. One special methodology called Network Spinal calms things down and helps activate the parasympathetic system, allowing the body to rest, digest and heal. It diminishes the stress response and provides an opportunity for real rest and repair to take place. Your brain starts to develop new strategies for wellness, and old tension patterns are rewired.
When you allow your nervous system to reset, it builds resilience and is able to better manage the stressors it encounters daily. You have an increased capacity to bounce back from challenges when your brain and spinal cord (aka your nervous system!) are functioning optimally. It is so important to take good care of your nervous system, so that the signals from your brain and body are being communicated correctly. When this happens, recharge, restoration and resets are taking place regularly and your body’s capacity to heal is at its best. .
Interested in optimizing your nervous system? Book your visit now and let’s get you started!
~Dr. Anita Rajan, DC