How to Balance Your Nervous System

Many of us are struggling with a nervous system that is out of balance from the increased stress and anxiety of COVID-19. Understanding the basics of how your nervous system functions and what you can do to balance it can create a feeling of empowerment as you decrease your stress and increase a feeling of wellbeing. Feeling out of control increases this imbalance while creating opportunities to feel healthy and balanced increase your inner strength and wellbeing.

The nervous system, which is of course intimately interconnected with all the systems of your body, is designed to keep us safe. When we experience an emotion such as fear, worry or anxiety, the sympathetic nervous system takes over and helps to prepare you to fight or flee. The body does not know the difference as to whether this is happening in real time, or if it is something you are fearing in your mind. This can cause a constant state of stress and anxiety which triggers the release of stress hormones throughout your system constantly.

Our fight or flight response is not meant to be triggered over and over again, and while the fear thoughts might feel true, they often are not based in reality. (If you’d like a refresher on how to examine your thoughts, CLICK HERE.) Right now if you are worrying about getting sick, your loved ones, getting back to normal, finances, the economy or all of the above and more, you are most likely triggering this stress response at an overwhelming speed.

The parasympathetic nervous system is your rest and digest mode. It keeps your body in a state of homeostasis. This is where you want to live, unless of course there is a true emergency. The good news is that you always have access to your parasympathetic nervous system through your breath. You will breathe whether you think about it or not, however, when you bring the process of breathing into your consciousness and present moment experience, you can regulate your nervous system and return to balance.

Here’s an overview of the functions of your nervous system.

SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM RESPONSE:

• Elevated heart rate

• Chronic muscle tension (body prepared to fight or flee with no release of energy)

• Increased threat perception (life seems more dangerous)

• Diminished neocortical functioning (can’t think clearly or focus)

• Loss of language and speech (blood diverted from prefrontal cortex to your fear center)

• Experiencing fearful or angry emotions

• Reactivity (emotional reactions vs. reasoned action)

• Perpetuation of anxiety and traumatic stress (mutual reinforcement: body says “I’m afraid,” mind says “there must be something to be afraid of,” body says “I’m ready to run or fight”)

• High brain-wave activity (thoughts race and are scattered, focusing is difficult)

PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM RESPONSE:

• Optimal or normal heart rate

• Muscles relax (body feels comfortable)

• Decreased threat perception (life seems safer)

• Peak cognitive performance (can learn, reason, make wise decisions)

• Ability to speak about and make sense of experiences (optimal blood flow to cortex)

• Ability to regulate and handle a range of emotions

• Intentionality (reasoned actions vs. emotional reactivity)

• Positive social engagement (desire to seek pleasant and intimate contact)

• Ability to cultivate a sense of inner calm, reset nervous system to optimal functioning

• Low brain-wave activity (thoughts are focused, mental clarity)

One of the most effective ways to help yourself live in the parasympathetic nervous system response, or rest and digest mode, is by breathing deeply, completely and consciously.

DIAPHRAMAGHTIC BREATHING

To practice, place one hand on your abdomen and one hand on your chest. Take a few breaths and notice which hand is moving. Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose. Now begin to direct your breath to fill your abdomen as you inhale, your hand on your abdomen will lift. As you exhale, draw your navel in towards your spine, feeling your hand on your abdomen move back inwards. Repeat for 1-5 minutes, attempting to keep your focus on the process of breathing. Anytime your mind wanders (which most likely will be a lot) return your focus to your breath.

Diaphragmatic breathing allows your nervous system to reset. Once you have practiced deep breathing, check in with how you are feeling, your stress and anxiety levels. There are many breathing practices that can help to reset and calm your nervous system, however begin with this simple, accessible and always available breath.

Once you’ve practiced deep breathing, try one or more of the following techniques to maintain balance.

ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES TO HELP CREATE INNER BALANCE

·      Count backwards from 100-1 by 7’s or 5’s. This gets your working memory going and removes the focus from the emotion center and part of the brain that activates the stress response.

·      Do a body scan. Scan through your body in your mind’s eye, notice anywhere you are holding tension. Consciously allow those muscles to relax. Check in with your body often, especially the places you tend to carry the most tension (common areas are space between your eyebrows, jaw, neck and shoulders, abdomen and lower back.)

·      Talk about your feelings. Sharing how you feel can have a tremendous impact on letting go of stress and emotional tension.

·      Practice the thought examination technique. You can get a refresher on that technique here.

·      Journal. Write out your feelings, practice releasing your stress and uncomfortable emotions with your pen and paper and notice the impact.

·      Listen to calming music. This allows your nervous system to relax and reset and remain in a more calm and balanced state.

·      Practice guided meditations. Listening to someone guide you through a visualization or relaxation experience will help to reset your nervous system. I like the app Insight Timer, however you can use any app/resource for guided meditations that suit you. (You can listen to my 5 minute guided deep breathing on my resources page HERE.)

·      Do something creative. Making or creating something is not only soothing for the nervous system, it is esteem building as well. This could be art, a meal, music, decorating/rearranging your space, crafts…)

Finding your way back to a state of balance is the most valuable thing you can do for yourself when you find yourself in a state of stress or anxiety. You deserve to live a life of balance and peace. Begin to train your nervous system through these practices and feel your inner experience flourish. Start with the breath, go from there and you can create inner calm and greater health and wellbeing, no matter the circumstances of life.

How to Survive the 3 Most Common Holiday Stressors

Do the holidays totally stress you out? If so, you are not alone. Many people say that the holiday season is the most stressful time of the year. While this time of year can be filled with aspects of fun, sharing and joy, they can also wreak havoc on your wellness routine and cause some old patterns to trickle back in or, even worse, you might completely neglect self-care. This is not good and can leave you feeling burned out, tired and may even leave your more susceptible to illness.

Today I am offering this survival guide to the holidays as a reminder to focus on your health and wellbeing while covering the most stressful elements of the season: disruption in wellness routines, financial strain and travel anxiety.

DISRUPTION IN WELLNESS ROUTINES

The foundations of wellness are nutrition, sleep, movement and relaxation. When you have a routine that balances each of these, infused with some intentional self-care, you most likely feel well, live well and create inner and outer wellbeing. The holidays tend to disrupt each of these routines! We all know it can be something of a domino effect where if one piece is disrupted all of the others are consequently negatively impacted. An example would be, if I am over tired from not getting enough sleep I may skip my AM exercise in order to get a few extra zzz’s. Because I’m still tired I may go for that extra cup (or two) of coffee—increasing my sugar intake and now disrupting my nutrition. With all the extra sugar and caffeine I can’t focus during my daily meditation and it is hard to fall asleep at night… So that’s the domino effect. Here’s how you can catch it before it completely derails!

·      Create a meal plan for each week and be sure to highlight where the vegetables and fruits exist within this plan. Even if you indulge in some holiday treats, you will still be well nourished!

·      Make your bedtime consistent, aim for 7-8 hours per night.

·      Maintain a simple exercise routine, even 10 minutes of stretching, taking the stairs or anything at all is better than nothing!

·      Do a 1-5 minute meditation before bed. Insight timer is a great app has a TON of free guided meditations, or you can use their timer to stay on track! If meditation is not how you decompress, give yourself some form of intentional relaxation in any way that you can, an epsom salt bath, reading, taking a walk, sipping chamomile tea…

Use the tools that work best for you and keep it simple, but whatever you do, don’t give up on your wellness routines, this is the time of year you need these routines the most!!

FINANCIAL STRESS & STRAIN

There is a reason the commercials start getting us in the holiday spirit super early. They want us to buy stuff, and a lot of it. Which is totally fine so long as it does not come along with financial strain, debt and regret. While yes it is fun to give and receive, there is no need to do it out of guilt and without the financial means to make it feel good. Here are some suggestions to reduce your financial stress and strain this holiday season.

·      Set a realistic budget and STICK TO IT.

·      Get creative. Making gifts such as ornaments, bookmarks, writing letters, creating playlists, getting crafty, baking or anything handmade with love is a great way to give! Who doesn’t love something handmade?

·      Choose thoughtfulness over extravagance. Consider what might be a meaningful gift over a bunch of smaller items to open. While lots of packages might look fun to open, the gifts that are most meaningful will be remembered and used throughout the year. (You can click HERE for suggestions on how to give the gift of wellness.)

·      Choose experiences over gifts. Enjoy a holiday dinner out or take a trip to a holiday show rather than exchange gifts. Maybe volunteer with friends and family somewhere where you can make a difference, this will take your mind off of wanting and get you into a space of serious gratitude. Spending time together is more memorable than a new shirt and other random items. This can create fun traditions that focus on quality time over financial expense.

Whether or not the financial means are there, you might enjoy getting creative and experiences over going shopping!

TRAVEL ANXIETY

Traveling during the holidays can be tremendously anxiety provoking as we all have busy schedules and traveling can become one more thing on the to-do list. Here are some travel strategies that can help to ease your anxious mind.

·      Practice deep breathing to help keep your nervous system in balance. If you need a resource, you can follow my 5-minute guided diaphragmatic breathing practice HERE! This is useful on a plane, train, in a car or even at the dinner table! Deep breathing is free, calming and always available.

·      Pack light, book your plans early and take the extra day off of work.

·      Travel with healthy snacks that give you sustained energy like fruits and veggies and nuts and seeds. If you become hangry while traveling, you will feel just that much more unpleasant.

·      If traveling is too much, create a time other than the specific holiday to travel when the fares are lower, and the days are less hectic.

·      Don’t skimp on your wellness routines. While traveling you might over-eat, under-exercise, under-sleep or skip your relaxation altogether. This will make it that much more difficult to bounce back from any traveling exhaustion. Even if there is one area you can maintain, that will set up you for feeling better than if it all goes away!

Whatever your plans are for this hectic holiday season, I hope you remain, healthy, happy and full of gratitude. Whatever you do, don’t forget to breathe!

Spring Cleaning for Mind and Body

Wow, spring is finally here, and whether or not the weather has gotten the memo that winter is over, I am so ready for this new season. With the extended sunlight, do you feel a little energy building? With this renewed energy do you spend time spring cleaning your house, closets and clearing out old clutter? If you have a yard, do you spend time clearing away old leaves and brush and begin to prepare the soil for new bulbs, flowers and greenery? Most people gain momentum during the spring season to clean and clear their physical environments, which is great, but have you considered spending time to spring clean in mind, body and spirit?

Whether it’s your physical environment or your physical body, residue builds and clutter stacks up higher and higher. Emotional clutter needs time to cleanse and clear just like the clutter and dust bunnies in your physical space. When you spend time cleansing and clearing in mind, body and spirit, you create the needed space to grow, to expand, to evolve—to plant new seeds within your heart and mind.

Here are some useful tools you can integrate to help clear away the clutter of physical and emotional residue that may be lingering on from the cold, grey winter.

1. Journaling

Let’s start with mental clearing. I find one of the most useful and accessible tools for mental and emotional release is journaling. You might prefer to read on and then come back to these prompts, but if you know you may put it off and never do it, take a moment right now to get out your journal, a notebook or something else to write on and a writing utensil and complete these prompts right now!

Spend time pondering the following self-reflection prompts to help clear your mind of any residual clutter from the seemingly never-ending winter. Letting go and clearing any lingering emotional discomfort will allow you to create room for mental and emotional space for what will serve you moving forward. Without the space to create what you want you will remain stuck in what you already know. Self-reflection is one of the most powerful ways to motivate yourself and create a new, healthy mindset towards the change you desire.

·      What stands in the way of living my most healthy life?

·      What roadblocks are currently in the way of living my best life and being the version of myself—and how can I begin to address each roadblock?

·      What would my life look like if I were being guided by my desire to make my vision my reality?

·      What difficult circumstances did I have to manage this winter?

·      What residual emotions from the winter do I need to release, to let go of, once and for all and how can I do this in a healthy, productive manner?

·      What do I need to let go of in order to move forward with more peace of mind on a daily basis?

2. Breathing

The second tool you can you use to clear your body and the mind is your breath. (If you missed my recent blog about the power of your breath, you can catch it here!) A form of breathing that will cleanse and clear your mind and body is called the bellow’s breath. It is a stimulating breathing practice, so it’s ideal to practice it in the early to mid-part of the day, not in the evenings. It’s always best to practice with the support of an instructor if it is brand new for you. (This particular breath is not suited for anyone who’s had recent abdominal surgery or who has untreated high blood pressure, anxiety or if you are pregnant.) If you give it a whirl and dislike anything about it, there is no need to do it! Just doing a diaphragmatic breathing practice can help to rid your body of excess stress hormones and your mind of excess stressful thoughts. The second breathing practice described below is a calming, grounding breath that is balancing, clearing and suitable for all.

+Bellow’s breath: Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed and relaxed. Each inhale and exhale are equal in duration, but as short as possible. You are “pumping” your navel center and building energy with this breath, creating a cleansing of mind, body and energy. This is a noisy breathing exercise, almost like a dog panting on a warm day. Try for approximately three in-and-out breath cycles per second, and aim for about ten breaths at time to begin. This produces a quick movement of your diaphragm, just like a bellows. Return to your normal breathing rhythm after each cycle. Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try as it can cause some dizziness. Again, if it is at all uncomfortable, there is no need to continue. Each time you practice this exercise, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute. If done properly, you will feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a refreshing workout.

+So-Hum breath: as you inhale, feel your abdomen expand and say “so” in your mind, as you exhale, draw your navel in towards your spine and say “hum” in your mind. Continue for at least one minute, but feel free to go longer. This “so-hum” breath will help to focus your attention and quiet your mind.

3. Nutrition

This last portion is all about spring cleaning for your physical body. One of my favorite ways to do this is adding in more bitter flavors, which is always available with fresh leafy greens! Here’s my favorite green drink recipe that is cleansing, refreshing and I think super delicious!

When you try it, let me know what you think. If you tweak it to make it your own, let me know what changes you find to be delicious, I love trying new variations on old recipes!

Spring Cleaning Green Drink Recipe

Serves 2: because health is best when you share it!

2 peeled cucumbers

½ cup fresh chopped pineapple

2 cups of leafy greens such as spinach, kale, chard, dandelion greens chopped

1-2 stalks of celery diced

1 inch of fresh peeled ginger root chopped

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

juice of half of a lime

½ cup filtered water or coconut water, may need more to blend to desired consistency

Blend all ingredients together and add more or less of your favorites to taste

ENJOY!!

When you try these cleansing practices, let me know how they work for you! Know that you are clearing mental and emotional space to move forward, building energy to feel well, live well and be well.