4 Tips to Hack the Nervous System
There is a lot of talk about the nervous system these days, especially when it comes to trauma and anxiety. Let’s have a brief biology lesson to help you understand why and how these body systems are involved in mental health.
The autonomic nervous system is made up of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for activating us when there is harm. This is what is responsible for fight, flight, or freeze responses. The parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite and activates calm and the “rest and digest” functions of the body. The parasympathetic nervous system is connected to four of the 12 cranial nerves. The largest of these four cranial nerves is the vagus nerve. We need both parts of our nervous system to be operating efficiently in order to survive. Our ancestors would not have survived if they registered seeing a saber tooth tiger but did not run. Oppositely, they also would not have survived if all they did was run around and fight all day. (That sounds exhausting!)
Certain mental health conditions like PTSD and anxiety can activate the sympathetic nervous system more often. Common symptoms of trauma and anxiety are being on high alert, startling easily, and overestimating threat. Learning relaxation techniques is one way to turn off the sympathetic nervous system and turn on the parasympathetic nervous system. Here are a few quick relaxation tips to help you feel calm.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): This technique guides you through tightening and relaxing each major muscle group in your body. Here is a link to my favorite PMR script: https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/progressive-muscle-relaxation-script.
Humming and singing: Part of the vagus nerve is inside the neck, which is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system.
Stretch your back and shoulders: There are still some mysteries of the human body scientists are hoping to uncover, but it is proven that a good shoulder roll will help you feel relaxed.
Breathe: We can’t control many things with our bodies, but we can control our breath. Slowing down your breathing will help activate your parasympathetic nervous system. One of my favorites is inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 7 counts.
The modern world is full of new stressors, which means we may have to learn new healthy ways to cope. While deep breathing will not fix your problems at work, it will hopefully take the edge off the feeling of stress so you can take action steps to get through or resolve your stressors. If you need more support and advice, consider scheduling an appointment with a licensed therapist to unpack sources of stress and learn tailored coping skills.
Anxiety Counseling in Baltimore, MD
Anxiety can take over your thoughts, your sleep, and your ability to focus on everyday life. Many people push through it for months or years before realizing how much it is affecting them. Work becomes harder. Relationships feel strained. Your mind rarely slows down.
At LifeSpring Counseling Services, we help adults, teens, and children across Maryland understand what is driving their anxiety and develop practical skills to regain control. We provide individual therapy both in person in Baltimore and through secure online sessions for clients throughout the state.
Written by: Sara Secada-Lovio, LCPC
