I started to share about regulation techniques and realised it is perhaps more helpful to think about the Autonomic nervous system, which of course we all have ( unless we are retiles!)

The amazing human nervous system is designed to keep us alive.  Working in background — regulating breathing, heart rate,  circulation, digestion, sleep, and our response to the world around us, and threat and perceived threats.

Part of this system, known as the autonomic nervous system, constantly assesses whether we are safe or under threat. It does this automatically, often without conscious awareness.

The autonomic nervous system has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system ( I see this part as the reaction system) and the parasympathetic nervous system. (I think of this as- ‘the all calm part’)

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for survival responses. When the brain detects danger, it prepares the body for action: heart rate increases, muscles tense, breathing quickens, and attention sharpens. This is commonly known as the fight-or-flight response as the body systems get ready to run  defend (referred to as hyper arousal in the window of tolerance), importantly in overwhelm the system can go into freeze ( hypo arousal in the window of tolerance). Latterly fawn has been added.

The parasympathetic nervous system works differently. It helps the body slow down, recover, digest, rest, and feel safe again after stress has passed.

Ideally, the nervous system moves flexibly between these states depending on circumstance. But when someone experiences chronic stress, trauma, unpredictability, or emotional unsafety, the sympathetic nervous system can become overactive. Instead of returning fully to rest, the body remains prepared for danger.

This prolonged state of alertness is often experienced as hypervigilance, which I would like to reflect on more in my next blog.