What does Regulating your Nervous System Mean? And how to do it?

If you have been following my work for a while, you will know that I keep on talking about regulating the nervous system. So what on earth does it really mean? And how does one do it?

Before I dive into a regulated nervous system, let me first define for you what a dysregulated nervous system looks and feels like.

The nervous sytem is a vital part of our body’s communication system which connects every part of our body to the brain, transmits signals back and forth. It ensures our body responds appropriately to stimuli like responding to an injury by feeling pain or feeling excitement when we see a loved one.

The ‘fight or flight’ response, or stress response, is one of the most critical functions of the autonomic nervous system. It’s an automatic reaction to perceived danger or threat, designed to protect us from harm. When triggered, it leads to physiological changes like increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and sharpened mental focus – all aimed at enhancing our ability to face or escape the threat.

While this response is vital for survival, problems can arise when it becomes chronically activated, leading to a dysregulated nervous system.

Let me explain this in simple terms. When the fight or flight response is activated when there is no danger but your brain perceives it as a danger, your nervous system gets dysregulated. Some examples which we perceive as danger can be ‘speaking on a stage’, ‘presenting our idea in a room full of people’, ‘being rejected’, ‘being reprimanded’, ‘being insulted’ etc.

Now these are not real dangers like someone shooting at us or a natural calamity. However our brain perceives these as not safe and we go into fight or flight mode. It is typically experienced in the form of palpitations, anxiety, panic attacks and overwhelm.

Now, what does regulating your nervous system mean?

Making your body, brain and nervous system realise you are safe in this situation. There is no danger. Expanding the definition of your brain on what is truly dangerous.

This means you are calm when you sit for that coveted position interview.

This means you feel safe when you are presenting that idea.

This means you do not feel threatened when someone is yelling at you at the top of their voice.

This means you do not feel stressed dealing with anyone at the workplace.

This actually means FREEDOM.

How to regulate your nervous system?

There is no sure shot formula for this. It is a mix and match. I am enlisting her all the tools that I use in order to regulate my nervous system.

Breath, breath and breath
Our breath is magic. We undervalue the most. There is no other technique or tool as valuable as our breath. Focus on your breath whenever you feel overwhelmed or anxious. Just see how is your rhythm and then focus on it. Your nervous system will be regulated immediately to some extent for you to think through.

Awareness
My next step is always about being aware of my emotions and why am I feeling unsafe in this emotion or situation? Then I will start searching for evidences that it is safe for me to do this.

Eg.: Attending an interview with the CEO of an organization
I will ask myself, “Am I the first person to do this?”
“Why am I feeling scared?”
“What can I tell my brain to process this fear?”
“Which examples I have in front of me who have done this before and are safe?”

Somatic Healing
Tuning into your body and feeling where this overwhelm or anxiety is stored. This comes with practice. Then releasing it with every outbreath. Imagining it being released from your body with every exhale.

Hypnosis
My mentor is a hypnotherapist and hypnosis has hugely helped me in regulating my nervous system. Hypnosis allows you to go into a calm subconscious state thereby allowing you to process your fears better. This enables us to see what lies behind our fears which we may not be able to see otherwise.

Movement Therapy
Having worked in this space for years and years now and using my intuition every single day of my life, I can determine where the stress is located in my body or someone else’s. Once we locate it, movement of that body part goes a long way. And even if you are not able to locate it, just put on music and dance in a flow. Your body is super intelligent and knows how to release the stress through body movement.

The key is to keep evidencing your brain that you are safe. You are safe. You are safe.

Always ask yourself, “How can I show my brain that I am safe?”

And you will be just fine :)

I invite you to read and take on this email and see what resonates for you. Even read it a few times this week, and you will catch something new each time.

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Your reply could be your micro step to admitting to yourself that you are ready to change the way you approach these times, your existence because you MATTER. It could acknowledge how your self-development journey is so committed, yet you have never celebrated it.

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I love you all.

Xx Pradnya xX

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