Have you ever felt this sense of annoyance or anger bubbling under the surface? When you are feeling that way, you will most likely behave a certain way, respond a certain way, engage in behaviors that help you cope with this negative feeling, and possibly even find yourself in arguments with the people in your life around topics that normally would not trigger you. Your nervous system is the culprit. We each have nervous system states that dictate how we feel. The good thing about these states and learning how to recognize them is that you can also learn how to switch out of them. It can also be soothing to recognize your negative feelings as simply a state of your nervous system.
Your nervous system utilizes a process called neuroception to take in cues below the level of your awareness to assess for signs of a threat in your environment. This is completely necessary for so many reasons. It can help you recognize if something is off, or if a person is unsafe. However, it can also perceive threats when you are in a high stress situation like a job that does not align with you, a relationship that is toxic, or an online bully. While these things are not necessarily life threatening, our nervous system still perceives them this way. When we remain in these situations and our nervous systems are on high alert, that is when your nervous system is no longer able to regulate, and the situation becomes chronic.
There are 3 states of your nervous system: the dorsal vagal state, the sympathetic state, and the ventral vagal state. There are spectrums of each of these states. Imagine a ladder is representing the 3 states, ranging from very low functioning, to very high functioning, and at the very bottom of the ladder is the dorsal vagal state. In the middle of the ladder is the sympathetic state, and at the very top is the ventral vagal state.
–The Dorsal Vagal state is the oldest adaptive state. This is the state of your nervous system that is responsible for digestion. When you are in this state, you may find yourself shutting down, berating yourself, judging yourself, and feeling overall stuck. Some have described this state as the emotional equivalent to being trapped in an underwater cave with only a small air pocket. In this state, you might find yourself wanting to disappear. This is the state most closely related with depression. In this state you might find yourself not wanting to leave your bed, having extreme fatigue, and lacking interest in the things that typically make you happy.
–The Sympathetic state is the second oldest adaptive state. This is the state responsible for regulation of breathing and the heart rate. When you are in this state you may find yourself easily irritate, angry, anxious, and antsy. Notice in this state, as opposed to the dorsal vagal state, you will ind yourself judging others instead of yourself. Some have described this state as the emotional equivalent of feeling like you are on fire. When you are in the Sympathetic state, you are also in fight or flight. You may feel extremely emotionally reactive and activated. This is the state most closely related to anxiety.
–The Ventral state is the most recent adaptive state. This is the state of safety and connection. When you are in this state your body is able to regulate all of the functions that the lower states are responsible for. You can easily digest, regulate breathing and heart rate, and feel a state of calm. If you notice, this state also allows you a greater perspective of the things that felt all encompassing when you were in a sympathetic, or dorsal state. This is the state we all strive for.
It is completely normal to flow between each of these states. Each state is necessary and appropriate for certain situations. The problem comes in when we are stuck in one of these lower states. Being chronically stuck in the Dorsal or Sympathetic states leads to problems with digestion, like food allergies, gut health issues, GERD and bloating, to name a few. Being chronically stuck in the Sympathetic state, with anxiety, will lead to difficulty regulating your breathing and heart rate, which often causes panic attacks.
All of these states are dictated by your vagus nerve, which is the nerve responsible for picking up and sending cues to your brain and body. There are many ways your vagus nerve can become dysregulated, but luckily there are also many ways to re-regulate. Some quick fool proof ways are through specific stretches, breath work, extreme cold temperatures, pressure, and humming or singing. These will not only help you bring yourself out of one of the lower states, but it will also help you increase your vagal tone. Increasing vagal tone helps your nervous system regulate more quickly in the future, and not remain in those states as long.
These are only a few ways to start to notice and improve how your nervous system impacts your emotions. If you find yourself dealing with nervous system dysfunction symptoms regularly, working with a therapist who is well versed in nervous system regulation techniques can help! To set up a free consultation with me and learn how to better manage your nervous system, click the button below and fill out my contact me form. I cannot wait to meet you!
