How connecting with our Nervous System creates lasting change for greater wellbeing
We all know too well the messaging around rest and the overriding need to “soldier on”. So when symptoms arise, fast relief takes precedence so we don’t fall behind on work deadlines, busy family schedules and endless chores. Perhaps it is the very lack of time that has turned us away from the deeper relationship between our bodies, minds and heart and how this all makes sense through the super highway of our nervous system.
All too often, we can become entangled in an endless cycle where there is never enough time or energy to ask - where is this coming from and what’s giving rise to this?
So when something is happening for you, the next question could be - what are the internal conditions giving rise to this?
Enter the Autonomic Nervous System…
The Autonomic Nervous System ( ANS) constatntly adapts and responds to changes and challenges both internally and externally. When we are impacted by chronic and acute stress, trauma, major life events and lived experience our bodies can present with a wide array of symptoms, perhaps leading to acute or chronic conditions or illness. So when we only identify and treat the symptoms, we may miss the underlaying patterns leading toward the shift in our health and wellbeing.
Turning our awareness and treatment protocols towards the nervous system can offer a stronger foundation for lasting change and a return to health.
The ANS and its surveillance system
Imaging the ANS as an incredibly intricate and expansive conductor of information (neuroception) which reads and assesses:
our internal experience (between organs and systems)
our interactions with others (interrelational space) and
how we experience the world around us
This system has been organising (mostly beneath our conscious awareness and direction) this function of our hearts, minds, emotions, organs, muscles, digestive system, immune function, hormones, neurochemicals, sleep and walking cycles since the beginning of our lives.
The good news is that this intelligent design has been created for us to survive; it’s your body trying to work for you and doing the best it can in your current circumstances.
How can we bring awareness and slow, considereed steps towards creating balance and wellbeing?
We are living in times where the queues of danger outweigh the queues of safety.
If we delve a little deeper, we can witness mounting threats arriving via news, social media, weather and world events and opposing views on how to live and thrive. Add to this lack of “clocking off”, time spent in an over-extended and often expected work hours, multiple caregiving roles (often (often involving both elders and children), time spent in transit (crowded trains, busy roads) and we have reached a tipping point somewhere along the way. Our nervous system picks up more and more signals of distress and “too much” and requires our conscious awareness to step in and place our hands gently on the control panel.
Now that we have located the system, we can begin to look for clues and signals in the way we interact that may reinforce the feelings of threat or safety. Take some time to explore:
Interactions with others
Signals of threat: perhaps harsh voices, too much noise, rapid fire demands, flat faces, little eye contact or too much eye contact
Signals of safety: imagine soft warm eyes, gentle voices, warmth in conversation, no urgency or little demand, maybe playfulness or a feeling of joining in at your own pace
Habits/behaviours
Signals of threat: scrolling /too much time on screens, too many stimulants, too many chores without any pause, too many demands
Signals of safety: Laughter with a friend, walking in nature, a quiet slow evening to unwind, an enjoyed hobby, moving through things at a manageable paceHow you take in the world:
Signals of threat: Social media, news, interactions that feel harsh, rapid fire and overstimulating, too much violence and outrage
Signals of safety: safe or neutral environments; nature, quiet sounds, quiet and connected spaces, soft lighting, time with animals, news or social media that inspires imagination or hope and encouragement
Consciously make choices to create change.
After examining and exploring patterns of behaviour and interactions, consider creating a mosaic of experiences (past and opportunities for present and future) and easy practices (think breath, gentle movement, nature connection) that reinforce, warmth, ease and safety.
Making a who/what/where/when of experiences, people, places and times in your live that inspire connection or nourishment can direct you towards safety and ease, a place to savour and build regulation and resilience in our ANS. The good news is that simply imagining and recalling past moments of joy, peace, inspiration, connection and ease light up your system and offer a regulatory pause, down regulating stress and demands of your everyday life.
Exploring the following themes and offering yourself time to savour (20 seconds) the memory and experience of these moments in your timeline is a great way to connect with your inner landscape and sense and feel the difference.
Who: Who are the people, pets or even house plants, podcast hosts or spiritual connections that offer you a safe and warm haven
What: What are some of the things you do, hobbies, resting time, connection with others, alone time that offer you a sense of ease and restore energy or relax tension?
Where: What places and spaces are safe and connected for you? Is it somewhere in nature, a quiet nook in your garden, a park nearby, the warmth of your bed, a room in your dwelling that holds special objects from moments in your life.
When: Is there a time of the day, a season, a holiday vibe that holds a special place for you? Actively explore and seek out the colours, forms, images from that moment in time and welcome in the felt sense of being there.
Remember to start small with short practices to deepen and explore your unique queues that can build better health and wellbeing from the inside out. Connecting with your ANS and bringing awareness and choice to your life allows you to notice something is happening rather than something is wrong, as you gently navigate the challenges we collectively face.
Written by Allison Casas
Allison is a Restorative Program Facilitator at Rest & Restore Wellness Retreat and owner of Reset Wellness in Melbourne. Guests staying at Rest & Restore Wellness Retreat enjoy a demand free personal space that provides restorative respite from their caregiving role. This allows them to rest and recharge in a nature based environment, whilst enjoying immersive experiences whilst building upon their self-care tool kit.