Tracking your nervous system can give you valuable information and insights into your well-being. This is all about the mind-body connection. Our nervous system plays a large role in regulating various systems in our body, such as heart rate, breathing rate and cognitive processes.
When you feel overwhelmed and anxious, your nervous system is ramped up. You might feel keyed up or antsy. There are also things that you can do to calm down. The goal is to help you feel safe, calm, and have a sense of connection with others.
3 systems that come in to play when tracking your nervous system
Social engagement system
This is activated when you connect with others. One way you can do this is to talk to or spend time with someone you trust. Other ways to activate this system include spending time with pets, engaging in hobbies, and just spending time with people. When you do these things it activates neural circuits in your body. When this occurs your heart rate decreases, your body relaxes and it cuts off the fear response.
Everyone is different, so it is important to figure out what you can do to activate the social engagement system. First make a list of all the things that make you feel like you connect with others. You can keep a running list and add to it as you think of more things. Is there something that happened today where you felt a connection?
Once you have your list written down, ask yourself how you will reach out to others. Is it online, through text message or phone? Or perhaps there is a certain app that you use.
This is your go to list when you are feeling lonely or a sense of disconnection with others. Also if you are feeling down or anxious, these are your tools to help you.
Sympathetic nervous system
The main purpose of this system is your fight or flight response, as it keeps you alive. However, you may not realize it, but it is also activated when you play, exercise, dance, engage in sports, or do anything that ramps up your heart rate.
So in order to activate this system, what kinds of things do you like to do to be active? Is there a certain time of day where you like to exercise? If you don’t like to be active, or haven’t been for a while, is there something you can do to motivate yourself? Perhaps having an exercise partner will help.
Even though it may not be enjoyable for you, if you can make yourself do something, you will feel better and be able to relax. Your sleep will also improve.
Parasympathetic nervous system
The purpose of this system is to calm us down. Thus, it will engage after the sympathetic nervous system is activated as a way to maintain homeostasis within our body. We can also help it along by practicing deep breathing, doing some form of grounding or relaxation technique, getting a hug, or listening to someone that has a calming voice.
What types of activities calm you down? Again, everyone is different. What might work for you may not work for someone else and vice versa. Are there some healthy habits you engage in that support this calmness?
Reasons for tracking your nervous system
Stress management
Once you are able to identify the signs of stress in your body, you can use specific tools that will help you relax and calm down. Chronic stress not only impacts your mental health, but also your physical health.
Better sleep
If your nervous system is well regulated, it helps you get the quality sleep that you need. If you track your nervous system, you can find things that impact your sleep, so you can make the adjustments that you need.
Improve cognitive function
If you are more relaxed you are able to think better. When we get anxious and ramped up, it impacts our ability to remember things. It helps us to have more focus. In addition it improves creativity and problem solving.
Mind-body connection
Tracking your nervous system helps you to better understand how your body affects your mind and vice versa. Being more aware helps you achieve a state of balance which enhances your well-being.
It takes time to learn how to track your nervous system. The more you do this, the easier it will be. Consistency is the key. So be patient with your self. If this is something you struggle with, therapy can help. Give me a call at 713-304-6554 and we will come up with a plan that works for you.
Take care,
Debbie
