Your Nervous System Called. It’s Tired of Being in Survival Mode

(Did you know your nervous system looks like that?)

The nervous system is basically your body’s internal messaging system...kind of like your own personal Wi-Fi network, only slightly more reliable.

It keeps everything connected by sending signals between your brain and the rest of you so you can think, move, feel, and respond to what’s happening, inside and out.

It’s how you instinctively yank your hand off a hot stove.

It’s how you chill out after a deep breath.

It’s how you don’t scream at the customer service rep (most of the time).

In short: it’s running the whole damn show.

But here’s the kicker: A lot of us are unknowingly stuck in a dysregulated state. Like, constantly.

Why does that matter?

Because learning to regulate your nervous system can radically shift how you experience life.

I’m not saying you’ll become some kind of Zen robot who never flinches or feels anything. That’s not the goal.

Life is meant to affect you. You’re human, not a houseplant.

But when your nervous system is always on high alert, it’s waving a giant flag saying, “Something’s not right here!”

Let’s say you’re driving. You start to turn into an intersection and suddenly - surprise! - there’s a car in your blind spot.

You slam the brakes, your heart’s doing jumping jacks, and somehow, you avoid a crash.

Behind the scenes? Your brain clocked a threat and immediately hit the panic button.

Boom! Fight-or-flight mode engaged.

In mere seconds, your body:

• Floods you with adrenaline

• Cranks up your heart rate and breathing

• Sends blood to your muscles like you’re about to run a marathon

• Dumps sugar into your bloodstream for energy

• Tenses every muscle like you’re about to wrestle a bear

All of this without a single conscious thought from you.

And when the coast is clear? Your body slowly settles.

You take a few deep breaths, maybe swear a little, and carry on.

That return to baseline? That’s regulation.

Understanding that cycle is how you move from constant survival mode to actually living your life and maybe even enjoying it.

At any given moment, we’re in one of these six nervous system states:

Three of those states - Play, Ventral Vagal, and Stillness - are considered regulated.

These are the sweet spots. They feel good.

In these states, you’re calm, grounded, and open. You can connect with others, access creativity, feel empathy, and actually relax.

But when we slip into dysregulation, things get a lot harder.

The Sympathetic state is your classic fight or flight. You feel wired, anxious, and ready to sprint or throw punches.

The Dorsal Vagal state is what you’ve probably heard described as freeze. You feel shut down, disconnected, like you’re stuck under a heavy blanket.

Overwhelm is when you get hit with both at once. And it’s exactly as awful as it sounds.

Here’s how it tends to show up:

Sympathetic can feel like anxiety

Dorsal Vagal can feel like depression

Overwhelm feels like you’re being dragged under with no way out

Burnout? It’s like having those stress states on loop.

When you’re burned out, your body is in survival mode…every single day.

Cortisol and adrenaline flood your system like you’re prepping for battle. Except there’s no battle.

Just...Tuesday.

Eventually, your nervous system gets stuck in high alert.

Little things start to feel huge. You lose your bounce-back. Your resilience takes a hit.

This is why understanding your nervous system is a game-changer.

Burnout doesn’t only happen because of work.

It happens when you don’t feel safe or supported in any area of life. And once your brain detects a threat (even a subtle one), your system responds.

Automatically.

The good news?

You can learn to recognize your patterns and shift into regulation again.

And that’s what this work is all about.

So what can you actually do about all this?

Good news: a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

Nervous system regulation is so simple I genuinely believe it should be taught in elementary school. Maybe even preschool.

Right after snack time and right before we teach kids to line up in silence (which, ironically, dysregulates everyone).

Now, I can’t cram everything into one blog post unless you’re up for a novella, but I’ll give you the basics.

Step one: Notice that you’re dysregulated.

Sounds easy, right?

Except…I spent decades not knowing. I just thought everyone felt that way. You know…like a chihuahua that drank espresso and forgot how to blink.

Here are some signs your nervous system might be waving a white flag:

• Edginess, irritability, and an inability to chill

• Hypervigilance (why did that leaf just move?)

• Anxiety or depression

• Chronic stress or fatigue

• Trouble sleeping (or waking at 3 a.m. with 47 browser tabs open in your brain)

• Digestive drama like bloating, heartburn, or the occasional mystery poops

• Mood swings or emotional rollercoasters

• Random aches, pains, or mystery inflammation

• Getting sick all the damn time

• Brain fog that makes you forget what you were… wait, what were we talking about?

Now, disclaimer: these symptoms can be tied to lots of things. But regulating your nervous system?

Won’t hurt. Ever.

In fact, it just might help a lot.

Step two: Know this number — 80%.

That’s how much of your nervous system is afferent.

Affer-what now?

Afferent means the signals are traveling from your body to your brain. Not the other way around. So trying to out-think your way into calm?

Bless your heart. It’s not gonna work.

That’s why I teach bottom-up regulation techniques. No, not that kind of bottom-up (and no downward dog required, promise).

These are simple physical exercises that help your body send safety signals up to your brain.

Doing this regularly boosts your interoception.

Another big word, I know…but basically, it means your ability to feel what’s going on inside your body.

And the more you can notice, the more you can shift.

Interoception helps you catch stress and overwhelm before they spiral, which means less anxiety, less pain, and way more peace over time.

Step 3: Let’s Get Physical

(Not like Olivia Newton-John, but kind of.)

Now that you know what dysregulation feels like and why mindset alone won’t cut it, it’s time to do something about it.

Enter: the body. She knows things. She holds things.

She also knows how to let them go if you help her out a little.

Here are a few of my favorite nervous system regulation tools.

No spandex or gym memberships required. Just you, your body, and maybe a little willingness to look weird for the sake of feeling better.

Deal?

Cool…3 minutes is the recommended time to do each exercise. You’ll probably feel better before that though.

You don’t have to do them all. Each one does something different for you so read through and pick according to how you’re feeling.

Body Tapping

Ever feel like a giant, floating head? Like your body’s a distant cousin you haven’t talked to since 2006?

Body tapping is here to help.

Why it works:

Tapping activates your touch receptors which is a fancy way of saying it sends “hey, we’re safe now” messages to your brain. It’s calming, grounding, and helps you reconnect with your physical self. Also, kind of fun.

How to do it:

• Start by lightly tapping the center of your chest with closed fists like you’re mimicking a heartbeat.

• Expand to your shoulders, arms, belly, thighs, and legs.

• Tap all over like you’re waking up each part of your body from a nap.

• Don’t whack yourself. Aim for Goldilocks pressure: not too soft, not too hard, just right.

Wall Presses

Can’t seem to get moving? Nervous system dragging? Press yourself into action…literally.

Why it works:

Wall presses activate your proprioceptive system (a.k.a. your built-in body GPS), helping you feel grounded and present. The gentle pressure boosts serotonin, which is your brain’s way of saying, “You got this.”

How to do it:

• Stand facing a wall, feet hip-width apart.

• Press both hands into the wall like you’re trying to move it (you won’t, but your nervous system doesn’t know that).

• Keep your back straight. Push for a few seconds, breathe out, then release and inhale. Repeat.

• Bonus: imagine pushing away a soul-sucking email or the patriarchy.

Whatever works.

Standing Breath of Fire

Need a quick jolt that doesn’t involve coffee or panic?

This powerful breathing technique will light you up (in a good way).

Why it works:

This breath pattern activates your sympathetic nervous system on purpose to help you feel awake and energized. It increases oxygen flow and moves stagnant energy like magic.

How to do it:

• Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart, chest proud, chin tucked slightly.

• Inhale naturally, then forcefully exhale through your nose by snapping your belly in.

• Keep the focus on the exhale and the inhale will follow.

• Start slowly, no need to go full dragon on the first round.

Great for those “everything is fine but I have zero energy and want to hide under a weighted blanket” days.

Body Shaking

This one’s a classic. Looks weird. Feels amazing.

Highly recommend.

Why it works:

Animals shake after stress to reset their nervous systems. We can do the same. Shaking helps discharge excess energy and brings your body back into balance. (No tigers required.)

How to do it:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart.

• Start gently shaking your hands, then your arms. Let it ripple through your torso and legs.

• Keep going until you feel a shift…it might take a minute or two.

• Feel silly? Good. That means it’s working.

I used to take a dance class where we said it was time to STSO: Shimmy That Shit Off.

Honestly, it still applies.

These techniques are simple, accessible, and require exactly zero self-optimization apps.

Your nervous system doesn’t need you to be perfect. It just needs you to show up.

Try one today. Shimmy, breathe, press, tap…whatever feels doable.

Your body will thank you. Probably with a sigh of relief.

That’s plenty to get you started…just enough to see if these tools are your jam. (Spoiler: they probably are.)

Remember:

• Notice when you’re dysregulated

• Pay attention to your body…she’s talking to you

• Do one of the Balance exercises for about 3 minutes

• Wash, rinse, repeat as needed

The magic is in the repetition. When you practice these tools regularly, you start to build nervous system resilience.

That’s the fancy way of saying it gets easier (and faster) to bounce back when life throws you off.

For me, a regulated nervous system is the difference between totally losing my shit over a sink full of dirty dishes...and just putting them in the dishwasher.

It means I can listen to my daughter talk about something painful without letting my own emotional swirl make it worse.

It means I can always show up for my clients - even when they’re spinning out - because I’m not just loaning them my nervous system. I’m co-regulating from a steady place.

It means I can think clearly. Solve problems. Be creative.

It means I’m healing.

What would it mean for you?

Whatever it is, I know it’s something good.

Here are some proven results from doing this healing work:

☑️ A greater sense of peace and feeling grounded in your own body;

☑️ More mental clarity, freedom from brain fog;

☑️ More emotional stability and feeling less “triggered” by life;

☑️ Waking up every day feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the world;

☑️ More playfulness, creativity, openness to life and inner peace;

☑️ A greater capacity to solve problems as they arise;

☑️ The feeling of being more loving and compassionate towards yourself and others;

☑️ Improved physical and mental well-being;

☑️ Improved digestion and gut health;

☑️ A greater sense of purpose and motivation; and

☑️ Greater ease in all areas of your life.

Sound great? That’s because it is.

And I’m here for that.

Quick heads-up / unofficial disclaimer: I’m certified in Nervous System Fitness™ Training through a company called NEUROFIT…and yep, there’s an app for that.

If you’re into what I shared here, you might want to check it out. There’s a six-week program that can legit change your life in about five minutes a day. No, really.

I’ll drop my link so you can get a discount (and I’ll get a little kickback too, which helps keep my coffee habit alive). Win-win.

Click here to get the app.

Also...that picture of the nervous system...here's where it came from: The complete dissection of the human cerebrospinal nervous system known as "Harriet" was created by anatomist Dr. Rufus B. Weaver in 1888. At the time, this specimen was recognized as an important teaching tool in the field of neurology.