Is Your Nervous System Asking for Support?

LJW
6 days ago
3 min read

Have you been feeling mentally and physically exhausted?

More reactive or easily upset than usual?

Struggling with mental clutter or difficulty making decisions?Noticing shallow breathing or an inability to fully relax?

Caught in negative thought loops that feel hard to interrupt?

If you recognize yourself here, you are not alone.

With the heightened stress, uncertainty, and tension many are experiencing in our communities right now, it’s common for the nervous system to feel overwhelmed. Our bodies are responding exactly as they were designed to by releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to help us stay alert and safe.

This fight-or-flight response is useful in short bursts. But when it stays switched on for too long, it can leave us feeling depleted, anxious, irritable, and disconnected from ourselves and from others.

The good news? We are not powerless.

We Can Give our Nervous System a Gentle Reset

Our brains and bodies respond quickly when we give them a little support. We can encourage the release of calming, balancing hormones that restore clarity, resilience, and emotional steadiness. Small, consistent actions make a big difference.

Here are a few simple ways to begin resetting and restoring balance:

1. Move the Body

Movement is one of the fastest ways to signal safety to the nervous system. When we move, the body metabolizes excess stress hormones and boosts mood-supporting chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.

If you’ve ever felt calmer or clearer after a workout class, that’s your nervous system saying “thank you.”

Other options might be:

Walking indoors on the track or at a mall
Using gym equipment or light weights
Swimming or spending time in a warm therapy pool
Attending an exercise or movement class

Movement doesn’t have to be intense. Often what helps is consistent, gentle motion.

2. Limit Overexposure to Negativity

Staying informed matters, but constant exposure to highly charged news and social media can keep the nervous system in a chronic state of alert, or media overload.

Psychologists recommend:

Limiting news viewing to about 15 minutes a day
Limiting combined social media scrolling to 30 minutes a day

This isn’t avoidance it’s self-protection. In a short amount of time, you can grasp what’s happening in the world without absorbing the negativity that fuels fear and tension.

3. Choose Calming Actions (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

When stress is high, our instinct may be to withdraw or stay under the covers. That’s understandable, yet it’s often the moment when gentle action is most helpful.

Consider:

A short sauna or steam session, followed by the whirlpool
Soothing music at home
Light-hearted videos (pets, kids, humor)
Massage, salt therapy, sound therapy, or red light therapy
Talking with a life coach or therapist

If possible, consider investing a little cash in your mental and physical well-being. Try working with a trainer, booking bodywork, or treating yourself to something sensory (like a massage or pedicure) or light a scented candle.

A Personal Note on Red Light Therapy

Recently, I gave myself permission to try Red Light Therapy at Embody, here at The Marsh. This therapy supports the body at a cellular level, stimulating energy production, improving circulation, and supporting tissue repair.

In just a 20-minute session, I noticed less stiffness, reduced aches, and an overall sense of strength and warmth, which is especially welcome now and in our cold January days.

Experiences like this reminded me how powerful supportive environments can be for long-term resilience.

A Gentle Invitation

Your nervous system doesn’t need perfection but it does need care, consistency, and compassion. What is one small step you’re willing to try this month to restore balance?

Support is available. You don’t have to do this alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One more thing:

Before you move on with your day, pause for one minute. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Inhale slowly through your nose then exhale gently through your mouth. As you breathe, let your shoulders soften. Say to yourself:

In this moment, I am safe.