Security vs Stress Indicators: A Nervous System Reset

For the longest time, I believed well being was about doing extra. Extra dietary supplements, extra lab checks, extra exercises, and extra routines. I saved spreadsheets and detailed checklists of all the things I used to be attempting to do for my well being. I assumed if I simply discovered the correct mixture and toughed it out lengthy sufficient, I’d lastly really feel wonderful.

However what truly modified all the things for me wasn’t one other protocol. It was a easy psychological reframe that shifted how I take into consideration well being, therapeutic, and life normally. It was the thought of specializing in sending security alerts to my physique, as a substitute of attempting to power it into submission.

This mindset shift remodeled the best way I eat, transfer, relaxation, and even assume. It helped me transfer out of a spot of power low-level stress and right into a state the place therapeutic truly grew to become attainable. In case you really feel caught in a rut like I used to be, however can’t appear to pinpoint why, then learn on!

Understanding the Nervous System

First, let’s check out the nervous system. Our nervous system operates in two foremost modes: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is accountable for the combat, flight, or freeze response. Our physique prompts this response when it senses hazard or a risk. On the flip facet, the parasympathetic system is accountable for relaxation, digestion, and therapeutic.

Due to fashionable life, many people spend nearly all of our lives caught in sympathetic mode. Even when we don’t really feel mentally burdened, our our bodies would possibly nonetheless be receiving alerts that we’re not protected.

I spent over a decade in that place. I didn’t perceive that my fixed doing, even the “wholesome” stuff, was conserving me caught and my physique nonetheless didn’t really feel protected sufficient to shift into therapeutic mode. That’s the place the idea of security alerts versus stress alerts is available in.

What Are Security and Stress Indicators?

Stress alerts are issues that inform our our bodies to remain on alert. These may be apparent psychological stressors like arguments or deadlines, but in addition extra delicate issues. Below-eating, over-exercising, poor sleep, loneliness, unfavourable self-talk, and even publicity to blue mild at evening ship stress alerts to our nervous system. 

Security alerts, alternatively, are cues that inform the physique it’s okay to relaxation and restore. These embrace issues like nourishing meals, deep sleep, human connection, hydration, daylight, light motion, and sort self-talk.

Once we concentrate on sending extra security alerts, the nervous system can lastly calm down. And as soon as it does, so many issues begin to enhance, like our power, digestion, temper, hormones, and even weight.

Rebuilding Security By way of Vitamin

One of the highly effective security alerts we will ship to our physique is thru meals. For a very long time, I used to be under-eating, particularly once I was attempting to heal my thyroid and reduce weight on the identical time. I didn’t consider it as a stressor as a result of I wasn’t (often) skipping meals, however I wasn’t consuming sufficient of what my physique wanted. 

Once we don’t eat sufficient, our physique will get the message that meals is scarce. It perceives this as a risk and raises stress hormones, like cortisol. So as a substitute of therapeutic and repairing, our nervous system is on excessive alert. Overeating additionally places stress on the physique, particularly if we’re overeating high-calorie, low-nutrient, processed meals.  

The shift occurred once I began consuming sufficient, particularly specializing in protein, micronutrients, and minerals. I started to prioritize my first meal of the day, ensuring it was filled with vitamins and protein, earlier than I reached for any caffeine. I additionally stopped consuming late at evening, giving my physique time to digest earlier than mattress.

As an alternative of approaching meals from a mindset of restriction or management, I began asking myself, How can I nourish my physique right now? That shift alone introduced noticeable enhancements in my power, temper, and sleep.

Sleep as a Security Sign

Everyone knows sleep is necessary, however I didn’t understand how a lot my nervous system was affected by inconsistent or inadequate sleep. As a mother to fairly just a few children, I haven’t at all times been in a position to get a full 8 hours!

Even skipping one hour of sleep may cause cortisol to spike and have an effect on blood sugar and insulin. And on the subject of mind fog, some consultants have in contrast only one evening of six hours of sleep to being mildly intoxicated.

Making sleep a precedence, particularly with an earlier bedtime and constant wake-up time, made a giant distinction for me. I observed enhancements in my coronary heart charge variability, resting coronary heart charge, and general sense of calm. This may be tough to do for mothers, however the thought is to make sleep a precedence. For me this meant no extra cleansing the kitchen late at evening or shopping social media after the children went to mattress!

Creating a peaceful sleep atmosphere helped too. I turned my bed room right into a sleep oasis and saved it darkish and funky with as little noise as attainable. I lowered blue mild publicity within the night and located that my physique began to naturally unwind and fall into deeper sleep.

Mild and Circadian Rhythms

Whereas I keep away from blue mild at evening, it’s your buddy in the course of the daytime. Pure mild is without doubt one of the strongest however missed instruments for supporting the nervous system.

Getting daylight within the morning helps set the physique’s inner clock and helps melatonin manufacturing at evening for higher sleep. Getting daylight in the course of the day boosts mitochondrial well being, improves nutrient absorption, and helps hormone steadiness. I attempt to get not less than 10 minutes of morning daylight inside half-hour of waking, typically barefoot so I additionally get grounding advantages. Then I’ll take just a few brief walks with my weighted vest or sit on a lounge chair to absorb the afternoon solar. 

In distinction, blue mild publicity at evening tells the physique it’s daytime, which might disrupt sleep and trigger stress. I began utilizing amber and pink lighting within the evenings and sporting blue mild blocking glasses when wanted. I additionally switched to utilizing heat mild sources after sundown from lamps. These lamps are on a timer so I don’t even have to consider switching them on when the solar units. 

Easy shifts in mild publicity assist my physique really feel extra in tune with its pure rhythms. Plus, it lowered the fixed background stress I didn’t even know was there.

Hydration and Mineral Steadiness

Dehydration is one other widespread however typically ignored stress sign. Once we’re even barely dehydrated, our blood thickens, our power drops, and our physique perceives that one thing is fallacious.

However hydration isn’t nearly ingesting water. Our our bodies want minerals, like magnesium, potassium, and sodium to ensure that water to really be absorbed and used successfully. I began ingesting mineral water within the morning, typically exterior within the solar. I additionally concentrate on staying hydrated between meals in order that I’m not diluting my abdomen acid wanted for digestion. 

Not solely does it assist help my nervous system, however I discover extra power once I hydrate with loads of minerals. 

Motion That Feels Supportive

Getting sufficient water is necessary, however so is getting sufficient motion. Train can both be a security sign or a stress sign, relying on what our physique wants at a given time.

Once I was deeply burdened, intense exercises made issues worse. My physique craved light actions, like strolling, swimming, or stretching. Over time, as my nervous system stabilized, I slowly reintroduced energy coaching and resistance workouts. Now you’ll discover me doing sprints on the observe subject. 

My mindset has modified so I see motion as one other approach to help my physique, not punish it. I goal for normal walks, mobility work, and body-friendly methods of transferring all through the day. There’s a time and a spot for extra intense train, however it may be an excessive amount of after we’re in nervous system overload. 

Environmental and Emotional Indicators

Even when we’re consuming effectively and sleeping sufficient, our surroundings nonetheless sends alerts to our nervous system. Artificial fragrances, harsh cleansing merchandise, artificial clothes, and even litter can all act as delicate stressors.

Our interior dialogue issues too. The best way we communicate to ourselves, whether or not with criticism or compassion, has a direct affect on how protected our nervous system feels. I observed that I used to be saying issues like “my physique is attacking itself.” 

Once I observed unfavourable ideas, I requested, Would I say this to my baby or my greatest buddy? If not, it didn’t belong in my interior world both. As an alternative, I shifted my mindset to say one thing like, “My physique is therapeutic.” These shifts helped me create extra security from inside.

Connection, Pleasure, and the Refined Indicators

Human connection is one other deeply highly effective security sign. Eye contact, laughter, contact, and presence all inform our our bodies we’re protected and supported.

Pleasure and discovering happiness in even the little issues in life are necessary right here too. Issues like singing, dancing, heat baths, buzzing, stretching, and even simply watching the sundown are all methods to nurture the nervous system. The vagus nerve, which performs a giant position in parasympathetic activation, responds to those small, joyful acts.

I additionally started to consider how my house atmosphere might really feel extra supportive. I swapped harsh lights for light ones, eliminated artificial fragrances, and made my bed room a comfortable area that really felt protected. 

Last Ideas on Security Indicators

A very powerful factor I’ve discovered is that our our bodies are at all times on our facet. They’re continuously working to guard us, even when it doesn’t really feel that means. Once we be taught to speak with our physique as a substitute of attempting to repair or power it, all the things modifications for the higher.

In case you’re simply beginning on this path, I might encourage you to decide on one small factor. Get morning daylight. Drink mineral-rich water. Go to mattress half-hour earlier. Eat a protein-rich breakfast. No matter feels manageable and sort to your physique. 

It’s not about doing extra, however listening extra to what our physique is telling us.

What are some methods you help your nervous system well being? Go away a remark and tell us!