How stimulated are you?

How stimulated is your nervous system, specifically your Sympathetic Nervous System otherwise known as your Stress system.  These days were are almost always on and mostly we don’t even realise it.

Caffeine, Sugar, Deadlines, Devices Light, Noise, Traffic, Hassle and Information – tonnes and tonnes of information which our brain is hardwired to take in and want more. All these serve to stimulate our stress system and the pace at which we live often live our life means we are chronically experiencing a low level of stress emitting cortisol into our systems like a tap dripping away in the background.

Cortisol is absolutely essential in our body to get us going and keep us alive but not in these constant micro doses. So, take some time to think about how stimulated you are and what true down time you can have during the course of our day or for longer periods at the weekend. Any of the following will help our body change its state to a more helpful physiological state where our biochemical response will be of oxytocin and DHEA – as nature intended.

• Time outside for a walk, no phones, just chat or your own thoughts and nature.

• Stretch your body - especially if we have a desk bound job, a simple stretch and breath activity for a few minutes will revive us and move back to a more relaxed state.

• Tea break - put down and phone and take a walk to a buddy in work and get a cuppa together and enjoy a chat for a few minutes. We are social by nature and reaching out to others releases oxytocin which is a heart healthful hormone.

• Time for your hobby – anything which gets you in your flow where you are totally absorbed and enjoying what you are doing helps to relax your stress system, sport, gardening, yoga, painting, cooking, puzzles, the list is endless .

• Connections – True connections (not social media connections where we may have lots of friends but no one to actually talk to), have some time with friends and family, a cup of tea together or a meal.

• Quiet – When I am in the house on my own, the radio and TV are off. I am doing my thing just me and my thoughs and it is a much more restful balanced state to be in. Not everyone likes the quiet but try it for a while and see how much more balanced you feel without a constant feed of information and noise in the background.

• Heart Centered Breathing – I practice and teach the science of HeartMath for HRV wellbeing and how to quickly shift out of a stress response to a balanced renewing feeling. A deeper slower sequence of breathing in and out will help reduce blood pressure and heart rate and shift you into a more calm centered state.

Learn what is going on in your body and find your way to bring more balance into your life and improve your health and wellbeing. What do you do to un-stimulate yourself and come back into balance?