Symphony of sympathy-Part 2-Your nervous system and stress

In the last post we talked about the Autonomic nervous system and its parts the sympathetic-fight or flight response and parasympathetic-rest and repose. We talked about how together these two parts act as a security system to keep you safe and how when working together they orchestrate a perfect symphony of balance between the call for action and the call for inaction.

Getting on your nerves

Sympathetic and parasympathetic activation happen automatically, as a response to an emergency, and then to activate recovery. In our society it is becoming more and more common that the sympathetic or fight or flight response is triggered by your own emotional disruptions, your worries. Rather than actual physical dangers, you manage to create a never ending list of stressful situations that get on your nerves. These situations may only exist in your head, however they manage to fill your mind with “emergency” situations, and depending on your level of sensitivity it could be happening almost non-stop.

Your brain decides that there are too many important things happening at once, like having a project due that isn’t finished yet, phone calls to return, emails to write, or your kids asking you to be three places and once. Even something as simple as the person in front of you driving too slow can trigger your alarm system. This is referred to as “stress” and it is a result of your sympathetic nervous system activating in an effort to keep you safe. Sometimes your alarm system can get sort of stuck in the “on” position and it may become hard for your body to activate the rest and repose response. When this happens your body does not get the needed time to recover from a stressful situation and that has the potential to make you sick.

It’s rather inconvenient and annoying when your alarm won’t turn off!  Gosh!

It’s safe to say that when your neighbor’s car alarm goes off for two hours it can be pretty darn annoying, yes? So what happens when your own inner security alarm gets stuck in the “ON” position for long periods of time? The flood of emergency reactions continues to flow in to your body and your system may not get a chance to rest. Let’s review what happens to your body when your alarm has been triggered;

~Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase

~Blood flow is diverted to your muscles so you can move with strength and speed.

~Cognitive and sensory become sharper so you can be more aware of what is happening in your surroundings and think fast to get out.

In addition other functions are halted so that energy reserves can be focused on the matter at hand;

~Digestion in inhibited

~Growth and tissue repair are curtailed

~Immunity is inhibited

~Pain perception can be blunted

If your body gets stuck alarm mode for long periods of time it can come at a cost, it is likely that the elevated blood pressure you experience when in a sympathetic reaction will stay elevated for longer periods of time, which puts you at greater risk for heart attack. You may also begin to notice problems with your digestion, with your body’s ability to heal and protect itself from infections, interrupted sleep patterns, and you may experience a high level of sensory impute which can cause agitation and anxiety. With all of this there is now more stress on your body’s systems and it can begin to cause you to feel tired and lack energy.  Your sympathetic nervous system was designed to protect you, but long term exposure may actually begin to deplete you to the point of exhaustion, and make you susceptible to illness.

Yoga and Rest

In a world that encourages a fast paced, high stress lifestyle it is important that you take some time to explore ways to help your autonomic nervous system stay in harmony. Yoga offers incredible tools that are excellent for helping you balance an over active alarm system.  It can help you activate your parasympathetic or rest and repose response.  Participating in  yoga classes will teach you tools that you can use combat stress in your day to day life. 

In addition to yoga, here are some other tools that help me stay calm.

- get enough exercise

- schedule play time away from stress

-taking a bath (I like to add essential oils like lavender

- read a good book that makes you smile

-get out and enjoy nature

-spend time with uplifting friends

-get plenty of rest and down time

 Find things that nurture you and help you feel recharged. Then make the time to enjoy them.  Be good to yourself, and leave stress behind.

Note to foot I mean foot note; I am not an expert on the nervous system.  What I share here is based on my own understanding of the reading I’ve done on the subject combined with the personal experiences I’ve had with my own active nervous system. Years of sever anxiety led to years of study on ways to help myself, and that is where my perspective and understanding comes from. If you’re interested in learning more about how your nervous system works, I suggest reading Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

Symphony of Sympathy- Part 1Your inner security system

These days many of us have a home security system to protect our home and help us feel safe. And all around you will see and hear security systems to protect cars, banks, and businesses. At the first sign of danger the alarm will sound. You know the sound. It definitely gets your attention and you look to see what the problem is. Did you know that your body came equipped with a built in security system? When danger is present it sounds the alarm, but it isn’t the type of alarm you hear, it results in reactions within your body and is related to your nervous system.

Systems of the Symphony

Your nervous system has two parts. There is the voluntary nervous system which has to do with conscious movements and actions. You decide to move your arm, and it happens. You decide to have a sip of tea, you sip your tea, it’s pretty straight forward.

The other part is your autonomic nervous system. This system controls all those things we rarely think about like blushing, getting goose bumps, sweating, and other necessary functions like those of your organs. The autonomic nervous system also comes in two parts, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.

The sympathetic nervous system is known as the fight or flight response and kicks in when there is an emergency, or at least what you perceive as an emergency. This is what I am referring to when I talk about your inner security system. When your brain perceives a potentially dangerous situation it sounds the alarm by releasing hormones into your body that trigger a series of reactions. You are in danger you need to be able to act quickly on your feet in order to get out of the situation. You can flee or you can fight, but in order to do either your body must be prepared to do it fast because it could be life or death!

A call for action-Your body prepares to run;

~Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase

~Blood flow is diverted to your muscles so you can move with strength and speed.

~Cognitive and sensory functions become heightened so you can be more aware of what is happening in your surroundings and think fast.

In addition other functions are halted so that energy reserves can be focused on the matter at hand;

~Digestion is inhibited

~Growth and tissue repair are curtailed

~Immune function is halted

~Pain perception may be blunted

Whew! Your sympathetic response helped you escaped your potentially dangerous situation and now it’s time to activate its counterpart your parasympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system is commonly known as the rest and repose response. When you brain perceives that the danger is over, it reverses the previous process helping your body calm down and creates an environment that promotes rest, repair, and energy storage. The danger is over and now you need to recover.

A call for inaction-Your body prepares to rest and recharge;

~Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing decrease to normal levels

~Blood flow is diverted from your muscles back to vital systems.

~Cognitive and sensory function return to normal levels.

In addition other functions return to the task of repair and energy storage;

~Digestion is returned to normal

~Growth and tissue repair are reinstated

~Immunity processes are restored

~Perception of pain is put back in place.

The rest and repose response is like the “OFF” switch on an alarm. It signals your body that you are out of danger and allows your body to return to a normal state.

When working together the two parts of your autonomic nervous system orchestrate a perfect symphony of balance between a call for action and a call for inaction. And in the process manage to keep you safe from harm, and ready for the next emergency.

Read about your nervous system and stress in Symphony of Sympathy Part 2.

Note to foot I mean foot note~ I do not claim to be an expert on the nervous system.  What I share here is based on my own understanding of the reading I’ve done on the subject, combined with the personal experiences I’ve had with my own active nervous system. Years of severe anxiety led to years of study on ways to help myself, and that is where my perspective and understanding comes from. If you’re interested in learning more about how your nervous system works, I suggest reading Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky