Security vs Stress Alerts: 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 stored spreadsheets and detailed checklists of every thing I used to be attempting to do for my well being. I assumed if I simply discovered the suitable mixture and toughed it out lengthy sufficient, I’d lastly really feel wonderful.

However what really modified every thing 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 an alternative of attempting to power it into submission.

This mindset shift reworked the way in which I eat, transfer, relaxation, and even suppose. It helped me transfer out of a spot of continual low-level stress and right into a state the place therapeutic really grew to become potential. For those who 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 essential modes: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is answerable 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 answerable for relaxation, digestion, and therapeutic.

Because of fashionable life, many people spend the vast majority of our lives caught in sympathetic mode. Even when we don’t really feel mentally harassed, our our bodies may nonetheless be receiving alerts that we’re not secure.

I spent over a decade in that place. I didn’t perceive that my fixed doing, even the “wholesome” stuff, was holding me caught and my physique nonetheless didn’t really feel secure 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 Alerts?

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

Security alerts, then again, 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, mild motion, and type self-talk.

Once we give attention to 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 Diet

One of the vital highly effective security alerts we are able to ship to our physique is thru meals. For a very long time, I used to be under-eating, particularly after I was attempting to heal my thyroid and shed extra pounds 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 an alternative 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 after I began consuming sufficient, particularly specializing in protein, micronutrients, and minerals. I started to prioritize my first meal of the day, ensuring it was full of 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 a substitute of approaching meals from a mindset of restriction or management, I began asking myself, How can I nourish my physique as we speak? That shift alone introduced noticeable enhancements in my power, temper, and sleep.

Sleep as a Security Sign

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

Even skipping one hour of sleep could cause cortisol to spike and have an effect on blood sugar and insulin. And in terms 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 an enormous distinction for me. I observed enhancements in my coronary heart fee variability, resting coronary heart fee, and general sense of calm. This may be tough to do for mothers, however the concept is to make sleep a precedence. For me this meant no extra cleansing the kitchen late at evening or looking social media after the children went to mattress!

Making a calm sleep atmosphere helped too. I turned my bed room right into a sleep oasis and stored it darkish and funky with as little noise as potential. I decreased 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 through the daytime. Pure mild is among the strongest however ignored 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 midst of the day boosts mitochondrial well being, improves nutrient absorption, and helps hormone steadiness. I attempt to get no less than 10 minutes of morning daylight inside half-hour of waking, usually barefoot so I additionally get grounding advantages. Then I’ll take a number of quick 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 may disrupt sleep and trigger stress. I began utilizing amber and pink lighting within the evenings and carrying 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 decreased the fixed background stress I didn’t even know was there.

Hydration and Mineral Stability

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

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, usually outdoors within the solar. I additionally give attention to staying hydrated between meals in order that I’m not diluting my abdomen acid wanted for digestion. 

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

Motion That Feels Supportive

Getting sufficient water is vital, 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 harassed, intense exercises made issues worse. My physique craved mild actions, like strolling, swimming, or stretching. Over time, as my nervous system stabilized, I slowly reintroduced power coaching and resistance workout routines. Now you’ll discover me doing sprints on the monitor discipline. 

My mindset has modified so I see motion as one other strategy to assist my physique, not punish it. I intention 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 Alerts

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

Our internal dialogue issues too. The way in which we converse to ourselves, whether or not with criticism or compassion, has a direct impression on how secure our nervous system feels. I observed that I used to be saying issues like “my physique is attacking itself.” 

Once I observed adverse ideas, I requested, Would I say this to my youngster or my finest buddy? If not, it didn’t belong in my internal world both. As a substitute, 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 Delicate Alerts

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

Pleasure and discovering happiness in even the little issues in life are vital 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 an enormous position in parasympathetic activation, responds to those small, joyful acts.

I additionally started to consider how my dwelling atmosphere might really feel extra supportive. I swapped harsh lights for mild ones, eliminated artificial fragrances, and made my bed room a comfy house that really felt secure. 

Closing Ideas on Security Alerts

A very powerful factor I’ve realized is that our our bodies are at all times on our facet. They’re consistently working to guard us, even when it doesn’t really feel that manner. Once we study to speak with our physique as an alternative of attempting to repair or power it, every thing adjustments for the higher.

For those who’re simply beginning on this path, I’d 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 type to your physique. 

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

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