10 Ways to Regulate and Resource Your Nervous System During Intense Times!
Life can be intense. Devastating. Hopeless. Unfair. Uncertain.
At times, chaos or upset might be happening in one or two areas of our lives, and yet other areas are solid. Your marriage might be falling apart, but your job is going well.
You might be suffering health issues and your best friend is not so they are right by your side with support and casseroles.
Sometimes, we are in the shit together, and sometimes we are in it alone. When we are in it together on a grand scale, it’s called collective trauma.
Trauma is what happens inside of us in response to threats (real or perceived) that create overwhelming emotions that we are not able to process and integrate fully.
Collective trauma can happen with shared, distressing events that impact a whole community’s sense of safety or identity such as economic collapse, natural disasters, war, pandemics, and mass acts of violence can provoke trauma responses in a whole community of people.
Trauma can manifest as various symptoms in your physical, mental, social, spiritual, or psychological body. Trauma response symptoms are expressions of dysregulation in the nervous system. Dysregulation means that you have either too much (hyperarousal) or not enough (hypoarousal) activation energy running. It means that things are not operating optimally.
Symptoms of Hyperarousal: Headaches, tension, anger, sobbing, anxiety, shaking, worry, restlessness, inability to sleep, mind racing, diarrhea, heartburn, etc.
Symptoms of Hypoarousal: Isolation, dissociation, shut down, memory issues, fatigue, sleeping too much, being stuck on autopilot, etc.
Our nervous systems only have so much capacity to process environmental and sensory information and stressors before we hit a state of overwhelm and dysregulation.
If you are facing a collective trauma situation or overwhelming life events please tend to your nervous system.
Here are 10 Ways to Regulate and Resource Your Nervous System During Intense Times:
Move Your Body! Discharge stress, tension, worry, and overwhelm. Introduce activation energy into your nervous system. Walk, run, swim, box, yoga, dance, shake, etc.
Check In with Your Body: Throughout the day take a pause, close your eyes, and take inventory of what you are noticing in your body and mind? Shoulder tension? Headache? Dry lips? Thirsty? Tend to your body needs.
Prioritize Sleep: Sleep is foundational to wellness and detoxing stress hormones. If you are not sleeping well or enough, things may spin out quickly for you.
Connect with Community and Loved Ones: We are social creators. We need one another. Holding and hugs can help calm the nervous system. Share your thoughts. Do a communal sauna.
Organize and Focus on Micro-Impacts: What can you do to create a plan amidst the overwhelming circumstances? Make a list? Prioritize your to do items for the day or week? Volunteer locally? Donate?
Accept Your Energy Levels will Ebb and Flow: Ride the waves as best you can. Allow yourself time for action and time for taking a break or pause. Be realistic with yourself. Pace yourself.
Access Nature and Creativity: Go outside no matter how cold! Write a note to someone. Draw a picture. Cook a gourmet meal. Build a fire.
Limit Social Media and News Input: Stay informed, not obsessed.
Be Mindful of What is Going Right or Well: You woke up in a warm bed? Can enjoy a hot coffee? Won $2 on the PowerBall. The sun is shining even though it’s -20F!
Brainspotting: Reach out for Brainspotting Therapy or practice Self-Brainspotting for regulation. Brainspotting is one of the best tools I know to regulate your nervous system.
The more you are able to resource your body and stay regulated the more capacity you will have for health, making intentional choices versus being reactive, staying calm, grounded, centered, and making a positive impact as you ride the waves of what life is sending your way.
Coriander Living Collective is here to support you and your nervous system. We are taking new telehealth private pay clients in MN/WI ages 14+. Schedule your intake here. Or register for our upcoming SELF-BRAINSPOTTING Workshop or Open Floor Movemeant Dance.
