It was in my late twenties that I discovered what a nervous system was. People used to talk about ‘her nerves’ and ‘his nerves’ and them being ‘at’ people and I had no idea what people were talking about. As I’ve gotten older, it’s been clear what this refers to and in studies, I’ve been able to identify what it is, how it looks and the way forward in terms of regulating the nervous system.
Our body has over 7 trillion nerves. Nerves are the body’s electrical wiring and send signals from your brain to your spinal cord and around the rest of your body. This is made up of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
The idea of this post is to understand more of the nervous system and how we can take care of ourselves, why it can be out of whack and the focus on those who are clear on how they want their bodies to heal.
Our focus as humans is to be able to focus day to day on our systems, how we are feeling, regulating and moving ourselves forward. This is a path that makes so much sense when we’re feeling stressed or chaotic. Even more so, when we are feeling calm and collected. The reason is that the systems we can build when we are feeling good will support us in times we are feeling less than good.
Clearly, we need to show ourselves grace when it comes to regulating ourselves and remember that we can’t always be in the best place when it comes to our nerves. We can, however, remember our best selves, our why and the steps forward in terms of our self-regulation.
You see, our bodies are going to tell us so much regarding the nervous system and how we are feeling. They are there to protect us and to show up for us as we move forward. They are there to identify how our environments, needs and relationships are affecting us or rather, how we are showing up for ourselves in those areas of our lives.
Questions to ask are:
Are we feeling on track?
How does our body respond when in certain environments and how do we regulate?
If our body is telling us there is danger, do we know why is this happening?
Do I understand what is happening to my body right now?
How do I feel and how can I get myself back to a balanced state?
Is action the best next step or is it better to rest right now?
Do you feel clear on what is happening with your nervous system? Sit with yourself for a few moments and ask yourself these questions and see how you feel.