Taming your Nervous System
Last year was a really tough year for me and my nervous system was red lining all the way. I DO NOT recommend that as a lifestyle choice but I knew there was a bigger picture. It was all part of crafting the life I want to live.
If you’re feeling like this now, jump straight to this meditation for finding your breath.
I survived on my sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) for many months. My normal self care practices couldn't stem the tide and I had to find new ways to stay afloat. I had used up all my reserves and was eventually writing cheques my body couldn't cash. To my nervous system, it felt like I was under threat and it was on high alert all the time.
I tell you this to give you context because I'm experiencing something interesting at the moment that I wanted to share. The tone of the life I am inviting in is slower, calm and easeful. I now have more pauses in my day, more time for the practices that bring me joy and intentional rest.
The interesting part is that my nervous system hasn't caught up yet. It's still pretty wired with a nagging feeling that I've forgotten to "do" something or I "should" be doing *insert all manner of activities here*. I still get a little jumpy as I’m so used to the old paradigm of feeling like you’re only successful if you’re busy, stressed and burned out.
Thankfully, I’m in a place on my path where I can recognise that my nervous system is trying to keep me safe. It is working FOR me.
It is from this place of deep understanding that I can self soothe. Sending internal signals that say "hey nervous system, thanks for the messages but we're good". Constantly "doing" has been replaced by sometimes just "being" and that feels new for my system. The brain is not a huge fan of uncertainty so it needs reassurance with internal and external signals. My nervous system will slowly adjust to the new paradigm of receptive flow (parasympathetic nervous system) and I’ll meet it with kindness every step of the way.
I heard this analogy in a podcast recently: Imagine you're making dinner and it's WAY too spicy. You can't take the spice out but you also have ways to calm the heat. You could serve with natural yoghurt, add potato or sometimes sugar will tame the fire. This is like life, sometimes it gets damn hot and your nervous system responds to the threat. Always remember:
1. your nervous system is only ever trying to protect you
2. you always have ways you can calm the heat at your disposal
One of the easiest, most efficient and effective ways to affect your state is with your breath. Click here for a meditation on finding your breath. It's short and sweet and a great introduction if you've never tried anything like this before. I'll gradually start introducing more specific meditations, breathwork and rituals depending on the state you want to invoke at the time.