Why Learning to Regulate your nervous system is Essential In Burnout Prevention & Recovery
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. If there’s one thing I wish I had of realized sooner, it’s that I better understood the importance of regulating my own nervous system, and that I had a toolbox of strategies to do so.
It is important that you know that chronic stress changes the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). To some degree stress is actually good for us, and our body is capable of dealing with it. On a short-term basis that is.
The parasympathetic (rest/relax) nervous system activity is overridden when stress persists. Constant demands, ongoing output combined with lack of rest and reward locks in the sympathetic nervous system activity. Eventually, the hyperactive HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system (fight-flight) become exhausted. As burnout progresses, it turns into central nervous system exhaustion. The autonomic nervous system function has been stretched to the maximum degree and cannot maintain its normal function. There is a literal change with how the heart and autonomic nervous system function. This has a cascade of negative effects on one’s health and well-being over time. We cannot separate our minds from our bodies, so it’s not just our physical health that’s impacted.
Signs of a dysregulated nervous system
How do you know if you have a dysregulated nervous system? You’ll experience many symptoms that feel like fight or flight reactions such as difficulty focusing and regulating emotions, sleep disturbances, digestive problems, physical expressions of emotional symptoms like headaches or unexplained body pains, and physiological responses such as heart racing, dizziness, and feeling out of control.
Other signs include body tension, feelings of panic or dread that come out of nowhere, or experiencing a “sudden ‘explosion’ of emotions in situations that do not necessarily require a drastic response.”
I want better for you.
WHEN YOU KNOW HOW TO REGULATE YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM, YOU CAN TAKE ACTION SO YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM CALMS DOWN.
To balance things out, we have to get our bodies into the rest and digest (parasympathetic) mode more. This is what prevents full on burnout, or will help you recover if it’s too late. This is what can undo the damage that may have already occurred and help you to regain your health and vitality.
5 Simple Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System so You Can Calm Your Stress Response:
1. Slow and deepen your breath
It’s the first relaxation technique people learn, and with good reason.
When you’re stressed your breath gets quick and shallow.
And the interesting thing is that about 80% of the fibers in the vagus nerve —an essential part of the parasympathetic nervous system—run from the body to the brain.
So by consciously slowing and deepening your breath, you’re activating relaxation in your body which then tells your brain that you’re safe.
Try the box breath exercise by inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, exhaling for four counts, and holding for 4 counts. Then repeat for a total of 10 rounds.
2. Cold exposure
In addition to breath work, “Iceman” Wim Hof has popularized ice baths and regular cold exposure for stress reduction and other health benefits.
When I first heard about this, I thought why would I want to torture myself? But it goes like this - when you regularly expose yourself to stressful situations (that aren’t actually life-threatening or harmful,) you train yourself to be able to handle other stressful situations that arise in life.
And cold exposure has an added benefit.
Once again, it’s all about the vagus nerve.
When you put cold water on the sides of your neck, you activate the vagus nerve and help your body relax.
Try ending your typical hot shower, with cold water. Start by trying for 30 seconds and building up from there. It gets easier trust me!
3. Grounding and nature
Grounding, or coming in direct-skin contact with the earth, has been shown to change your body’s electrical charge and have a measurable effect on cortisol levels. So take off your shoes and socks and feel your feet on the earth. Or get out there and hug a tree!
But while there are incredible physiological changes that happen when you spend time with your hands and feet in the earth, you don’t even have to touch soil to reap the mental health benefits of nature.
A 2012 randomized controlled trial published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that just looking at pictures of nature significantly increased stress-busting parasympathetic activity. So if you live somewhere that has extreme winter temps like I do, know that you don’t have to go outside to reap the benefits of nature.
4. Explore movement
In my burnout recovery, I required more intensive physical activity in the form of weight training, when yoga had been my typical go-to. Perhaps you need something more intense like I did; more moderate and rhythmic such as running or dancing; or meditative like yin yoga or qi gong. Experiment and tune into your own body to figure out what you need in the right now.
5. Digitally detox
Your nervous system becomes overstimulated from constant notifications and multi-tasking. If you can take a day or a weekend away regularly. Freaking out at the thought of that? Aim to at least put your device aside the hour before bed.
When we consciously choose to give our nervous systems a break, we’re allowing our entire system to recalibrate. This goes beyond just preventing burnout. A healthy nervous system can not only prevent long term health issues but lead to improved immunity, greater resilience, and an increased sense of well-being.
By reducing unnecessary stimuli and increasing the activities above, we can ensure that our nerves stay healthy no matter what’s going on in the world around us.
