For the longest time, I believed well being was about doing extra. Extra dietary supplements, extra lab assessments, extra exercises, and extra routines. I stored spreadsheets and detailed checklists of every part I used to be making an attempt to do for my well being. I believed if I simply discovered the proper mixture and toughed it out lengthy sufficient, I’d lastly really feel superb.
However what really modified every part for me wasn’t one other protocol. It was a easy psychological reframe that shifted how I take into consideration well being, therapeutic, and life basically. It was the thought of specializing in sending security indicators to my physique, as a substitute of making an attempt to drive it into submission.
This mindset shift reworked the way in which I eat, transfer, relaxation, and even assume. It helped me transfer out of a spot of continual low-level stress and right into a state the place therapeutic really turned attainable. In case you really feel caught in a rut like I used to be, however can’t appear to pinpoint why, then learn on!
Understanding the Nervous System
First, let’s check out the nervous system. Our nervous system operates in two primary modes: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is answerable for the battle, flight, or freeze response. Our physique prompts this response when it senses hazard or a risk. On the flip aspect, the parasympathetic system is answerable for relaxation, digestion, and therapeutic.
Because of trendy life, many people spend the vast majority of our lives caught in sympathetic mode. Even when we don’t really feel mentally pressured, our our bodies may nonetheless be receiving indicators that we’re not secure.
I spent over a decade in that place. I didn’t perceive that my fixed doing, even the “wholesome” stuff, was protecting me caught and my physique nonetheless didn’t really feel secure sufficient to shift into therapeutic mode. That’s the place the idea of security indicators versus stress indicators is available in.
What Are Security and Stress Indicators?
Stress indicators are issues that inform our our bodies to remain on alert. These will be apparent psychological stressors like arguments or deadlines, but in addition extra delicate issues. Underneath-eating, over-exercising, poor sleep, loneliness, adverse self-talk, and even publicity to blue mild at night time ship stress indicators to our nervous system.
Security indicators, then again, are cues that inform the physique it’s okay to relaxation and restore. These embrace issues like nourishing meals, deep sleep, human connection, hydration, daylight, mild motion, and type self-talk.
Once we concentrate on sending extra security indicators, the nervous system can lastly calm down. And as soon as it does, so many issues begin to enhance, like our power, digestion, temper, hormones, and even weight.
Rebuilding Security By means of Diet
Probably the most highly effective security indicators we are able to ship to our physique is thru meals. For a very long time, I used to be under-eating, particularly after I was making an attempt to heal my thyroid and drop pounds on the identical time. I didn’t consider it as a stressor as a result of I wasn’t (often) skipping meals, however I wasn’t consuming sufficient of what my physique wanted.
Once we don’t eat sufficient, our physique will get the message that meals is scarce. It perceives this as a risk and raises stress hormones, like cortisol. So as a substitute of therapeutic and repairing, our nervous system is on excessive alert. Overeating additionally places stress on the physique, particularly if we’re overeating high-calorie, low-nutrient, processed meals.
The shift occurred after I began consuming sufficient, particularly specializing in protein, micronutrients, and minerals. I started to prioritize my first meal of the day, ensuring it was filled with vitamins and protein, earlier than I reached for any caffeine. I additionally stopped consuming late at night time, giving my physique time to digest earlier than mattress.
As a substitute of approaching meals from a mindset of restriction or management, I began asking myself, How can I nourish my physique right now? That shift alone introduced noticeable enhancements in my power, temper, and sleep.
Sleep as a Security Sign
Everyone knows sleep is necessary, however I didn’t notice how a lot my nervous system was affected by inconsistent or inadequate sleep. As a mother to fairly a number of youngsters, I haven’t at all times been in a position to get a full 8 hours!
Even skipping one hour of sleep could cause cortisol to spike and have an effect on blood sugar and insulin. And in relation to mind fog, some specialists have in contrast only one night time of six hours of sleep to being mildly intoxicated.
Making sleep a precedence, particularly with an earlier bedtime and constant wake-up time, made a giant distinction for me. I observed enhancements in my coronary heart charge variability, resting coronary heart charge, and total sense of calm. This may be troublesome to do for mothers, however the concept is to make sleep a precedence. For me this meant no extra cleansing the kitchen late at night time or searching social media after the children went to mattress!
Making a calm sleep surroundings helped too. I turned my bed room right into a sleep oasis and stored it darkish and funky with as little noise as attainable. I decreased blue mild publicity within the night and located that my physique began to naturally unwind and fall into deeper sleep.
Mild and Circadian Rhythms
Whereas I keep away from blue mild at night time, it’s your pal in the course of the daytime. Pure mild is likely one of the strongest however neglected instruments for supporting the nervous system.
Getting daylight within the morning helps set the physique’s inner clock and helps melatonin manufacturing at night time for higher sleep. Getting daylight in the midst of the day boosts mitochondrial well being, improves nutrient absorption, and helps hormone steadiness. I attempt to get at the very least 10 minutes of morning daylight inside half-hour of waking, usually barefoot so I additionally get grounding advantages. Then I’ll take a number of quick walks with my weighted vest or sit on a lounge chair to absorb the afternoon solar.
In distinction, blue mild publicity at night time tells the physique it’s daytime, which may disrupt sleep and trigger stress. I began utilizing amber and pink lighting within the evenings and carrying blue mild blocking glasses when wanted. I additionally switched to utilizing heat mild sources after sundown from lamps. These lamps are on a timer so I don’t even have to consider switching them on when the solar units.
Easy shifts in mild publicity assist my physique really feel extra in tune with its pure rhythms. Plus, it decreased the fixed background stress I didn’t even know was there.
Hydration and Mineral Stability
Dehydration is one other frequent however usually ignored stress sign. Once we’re even barely dehydrated, our blood thickens, our power drops, and our physique perceives that one thing is improper.
However hydration isn’t nearly consuming water. Our our bodies want minerals, like magnesium, potassium, and sodium to ensure that water to really be absorbed and used successfully. I began consuming mineral water within the morning, usually outdoors within the solar. I additionally concentrate on staying hydrated between meals in order that I’m not diluting my abdomen acid wanted for digestion.
Not solely does it assist assist my nervous system, however I discover extra power after I hydrate with loads of minerals.
Motion That Feels Supportive
Getting sufficient water is necessary, however so is getting sufficient motion. Train can both be a security sign or a stress sign, relying on what our physique wants at a given time.
After I was deeply pressured, intense exercises made issues worse. My physique craved mild actions, like strolling, swimming, or stretching. Over time, as my nervous system stabilized, I slowly reintroduced energy coaching and resistance workouts. Now you’ll discover me doing sprints on the monitor subject.
My mindset has modified so I see motion as one other solution to assist my physique, not punish it. I purpose for normal walks, mobility work, and body-friendly methods of transferring all through the day. There’s a time and a spot for extra intense train, however it may be an excessive amount of once we’re in nervous system overload.
Environmental and Emotional Indicators
Even when we’re consuming properly and sleeping sufficient, the environment nonetheless sends indicators to our nervous system. Artificial fragrances, harsh cleansing merchandise, artificial clothes, and even litter can all act as delicate stressors.
Our internal dialogue issues too. The way in which we converse to ourselves, whether or not with criticism or compassion, has a direct affect on how secure our nervous system feels. I observed that I used to be saying issues like “my physique is attacking itself.”
After I observed adverse ideas, I requested, Would I say this to my baby or my greatest pal? If not, it didn’t belong in my internal world both. As a substitute, I shifted my mindset to say one thing like, “My physique is therapeutic.” These shifts helped me create extra security from inside.
Connection, Pleasure, and the Refined Indicators
Human connection is one other deeply highly effective security sign. Eye contact, laughter, contact, and presence all inform our our bodies we’re secure and supported.
Pleasure and discovering happiness in even the little issues in life are necessary right here too. Issues like singing, dancing, heat baths, buzzing, stretching, and even simply watching the sundown are all methods to nurture the nervous system. The vagus nerve, which performs a giant position in parasympathetic activation, responds to those small, joyful acts.
I additionally started to consider how my house surroundings might really feel extra supportive. I swapped harsh lights for mild ones, eliminated artificial fragrances, and made my bed room a comfortable area that really felt secure.
Last Ideas on Security Indicators
Crucial factor I’ve realized is that our our bodies are at all times on our aspect. They’re continually working to guard us, even when it doesn’t really feel that method. Once we study to speak with our physique as a substitute of making an attempt to repair or drive it, every part adjustments for the higher.
In case you’re simply beginning on this path, I’d encourage you to decide on one small factor. Get morning daylight. Drink mineral-rich water. Go to mattress half-hour earlier. Eat a protein-rich breakfast. No matter feels manageable and type to your physique.
It’s not about doing extra, however listening extra to what our physique is telling us.
What are some methods you assist your nervous system well being? Depart a remark and tell us!
