5 Simple Ways to Calm Your Nervous System
“God may forgive your sins, but your nervous system won’t.”
~Alfred Korzybski
I am no stranger to panic attacks. For me, it feels like I’m going to drop dead and go insane, all at the same time. For most people who suffer from occasional or regular panic attacks, it feels like a total assault on your nervous system and, at times, they give the impression your mind, body and soul are being hijacked. Yikes!
Now, I bring this up because the topic—simple methods to effectively calm your nervous system—can only be addressed in the context of non-calmness, i.e., stress, anxiety, and on the extreme end of that bell curve, panic attacks. The point is, whether you face low-level, but recurring stress or the heavy-duty, curl-up-in-a-fetal-position-and-tremble kind, or anything in between, this post will hopefully give you some options for getting yourself back to a more cool and composed, if not deeply peaceful state of being.
In my case, it’s taken me time to learn how to take control of the health and well-being of my nervous system, something I’ve discovered is a fundamental component of how I experience life. Given I spent years burning the candle at both ends, working my ass off and then going out on the town, overindulging in every imaginable way, I’ve found I had to fill my toolbox with only the very best, most powerful, results-oriented action steps available to keep my stress levels way down—as in at an all-time low—and still enable my nervous system to keep humming like a songbird throughout the day.
Here are 5 timely techniques for claiming back your calm:
Step One: If you’re regularly having issues with stress (and especially if you’re experiencing panic attacks or an overall feeling of being out-of-control), STOP DRINKING CAFFEINE. We have become junkies in the coffee department, but caffeine is a drug, people… and sometimes, in the words of Nancy Regan, we have to “Just Say No.” Let’s take a step back here. If, indeed, you are feeling freaked out on the regular, how in the hell does it make sense that caffeinated beverages are going to help your cause? That’s like throwing gasoline on a fire. Put the Starbucks (or Diet Cokes) down.
Step Two: Breathe. When you start feeling like you’re spinning out of control or stressing out, stop whatever it is you’re doing and breathe. And I’m talking big blue whale-type breaths. Take in as much oxygen as humanly possible, hold your breath for five seconds and then push all the air out. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Continue this practice until you feel your anxiety dissipating. Deep breathing will help, I swear! Your parasympathetic nervous system, which supports relaxation (think opposite of “flight-ot-fight” response), is activated by deep breathing… or if you want to go all spiritual, “yogic breathing.” When you’re losing your cool, that’s your sign to boost your oxygen intake and increase your calming endorphins through some deep breathing. (It’ll also decrease your cortisol/stress hormone levels.) Turn that frown upside-down by breathing that stress right out the door.
Step Three: Meditate. I don’t think it’s any secret I’m a big fan of Transcendental Meditation (TM). It saved my life and yeah, it totally transformed my nervous system. TM is the meditation practice I chose, but there are many paths one can take in the world of meditation. I always say, “I don’t care what you do, but do something.” When you give your mind time to take a deep-dive rest—in the case of TM, twenty minutes, twice a day—you’re giving yourself a chance to feel cool, calm and collected throughout the day. We have a choice, people, whether or not we’re going to be the person who’s running around, day in and day out, like a nutcase, anxious about 83 different things, or the one who takes time each day to calm their mind and body in order to more regularly have a better sense of well-being. Meditation is a super-easy way to give your nervous system the juice it is looking for: deep and restful silence.
Step Four: You are what you eat. A big game-changer for me was when I was tested for food allergies. Once I found out I was allergic to gluten, dairy and peanuts, I knew they were causing inflammation in my body. And inflammation causes stress in the body’s interconnected systems. The fact is, stress causes your levels of cortisol to rise, and a high level of cortisol causes your immune system to break down. Not what we’re looking for, people. Sugar is also a big no-no for anxiety. Kick it out of your diet (or taper it off gradually, if need be) and see how quickly your mind and body smooth out. Bottom line? Eating whole fresh foods is a good idea, if you’re looking for a calm nervous system. This is the best book (see below) I’ve ever found on the topic – it’s by Trudy Scott. She really knows her stuff.
Step Five: Booze. Ya’ gotta’ give it up (or at least cut it back to virtually never), if you have an unhappy nervous system. Not only is it filled with sugar (see Step Four), but it’s a depressant. Sure, you feel good while you’re drinking, but we all know what comes next. A hangover. And holy shit! If you thought you were anxious before you started boozing any given night, you know you’re about to experience a whole new level of hell the next morning. It’s simply not worth it. I’m not telling you to never have a glass of vino again or become a full-out teetotaler. But if you are stressed, have a trash-can kinda’ vibe going on or experience panic attacks, hooch is the last thing you want to be messing with. Tell your drunko friends you need to take a pass while you get your nervous system back on track. And if they don’t have your back, get new friends.
I hope some or at least one of these tips will help guide you into a calmer, more serene existence. I’ve adopted each one and they’re all working for me. I wish you the best on your journey toward greater inner peace.
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