LET’S REGULATE! THE SCIENCE OF REGULATION

Regulating ourselves is something we need to do every day. 

It allows us to return to feeling connected with ourselves, each other and the world during times of distress or overwhelm.

We all have an autonomic nervous system (ANS) as part of our survival physiology.

The ANS is made up of the sympathetic nervous system (a mobilising state) and the parasympathetic nervous system which consists of the ventral vagal pathway (a safe state) and dorsal vagal (an immobilised state.)

The parasympathetic nervous system sends messages through a bunch of intwined nerves covered in a sheath in our body, called the vagus nerve. It is responsible for our rest and digestion.

Our ANS works to keep us alive and safe, often using information drawn from past experiences and current perceived threats. It does this through what is called “neuroception”- which explains the way our ANS automatically detects what is happening around us.

Sometimes this means that it connects a safe present experience with a past unsafe experience and it tries to protect us from harm by activating different parts of the branches of the ANS.

This can mean that we go into flight, fight, fawn, freeze or flop at times when it isn’t necessary or helpful, and sometimes people get stuck there for periods of time without knowing how to shift to a more regulated state.

The great news is that we can tone the vagus nerve, just like we would our bodies through exercise, and support it to become more easily regulated so that can experience safety and connection. In turn our system learns to return to a regulated state more easily and may become more refined in how it perceives threat.

I encourage everyone to spend a few minutes throughout the day regulating your autonomic nervous system. The vagus nerve is responsible for many functions in our body including digestive and immune functions, breathing and heart rate.

When we experience stress and tension, our nervous system can become overwhelmed and dysregulated. This may cause symptoms such as anxiety, depression and impulsive behaviour. In turn we may develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. Frequent dysregulation can lead to breakdown, oversensitivity and disconnection. Low vagal tone leads to hyper-vigilance and greater reactivity to stressors.

Just like you build muscle at the gym, the vagus nerve can benefit from regular toning in order to support well-being.

One of the benefits of toning the vagus nerve and regulating the nervous system is that we are able to access our rest and digest state through the para-sympathetic nervous system. This means we are giving our body the best chance for overall well-being.

Higher vagal tone can decrease hyper-vigilance and increase the sense of safety thereby increasing our capacity to respond, rather than react. It also allows the automatic functions of the nervous system to work in a more optimal state for our whole body well-being.

 It can allow us to better manage the stresses in life enabling us to face them in a more regulated and connected state. 

Connected to self

Connected to others

Connected to the world

Here is a short video I made with three simple tips to regulate and thereby support healthy vagal tone.

Click HERE to watch https://youtu.be/dnu1mrBuuNc

We often hear about deep breathing for regulation which is a great tool but it doesn’t suit everyone all the time so today I am sharing a few alternatives for you to try!

Like most things in life, these are most effective and have the most positive impact when practised regularly.

When using the tips, it is important to always make sure you are keeping yourself in a safe window.

This means listening to your own bodily responses and knowing when something feels supportive and safe or when something feels unhelpful and unsafe.

We are all unique and our life experiences vary greatly therefore our toolboxes of regulation will look different. This is why it is important to try lots of different techniques to see what works for you.

Trauma and long term stress can impact our capacity to regulate on our own and co-regulation with another person is very valuable during these times.

This may be a friend, family member, partner, colleague or therapist. 

If you experience challenges self-regulating, it can be beneficial to seek therapeutic support to process and integrate stressful or traumatic life experiences that may be triggering or adding to emotional overwhelm or distress.

I work with people to develop a toolkit of regulation as well as holistically process traumatic and stress life events.

Please feel welcome to contact me if you would like to hear how working with me will be beneficial for you.

www.glowwellbeing.com.au