Speaking to Your Nervous System

In our post “Crack the Code of Stress and Thrive“, we explored the basics of stress and learned about the interplay between the “fight or flight” response, associated with the sympathetic nervous system, and the “rest and digest” response, linked to the parasympathetic nervous system. These opposing responses of your nervous system have distinct physiological effects on the body. Stress triggers your sympathetic nervous system, preparing you for challenges, while your parasympathetic nervous system helps you rest and repair when it is safe to do so. Both responses play a vital role in your well-being and emphasize the importance of managing stress.

Running from Bears

Your safety brain is always watching for threats. When it identifies one, it triggers your sympathetic response to give you the energy and resources you need to face that challenge. If you’re being chased by a bear, things like digestion, cell repair and fighting germs are no longer the priority and resources are diverted from these bodily tasks into things like increasing your heart rate and oxygen intake to power your muscles. Unfortunately, your safety brain doesn’t just watch for bears; it can also trigger the alarm for everyday stimuli like traffic, work deadlines, a dog barking, or social media posts. Sometimes these triggers are easily recognized and dismissed, or they may manifest as subtle, ongoing pressures that build over time. These everyday stressors can give you little time for resting and digesting which can have a direct impact on our health and well-being.

Hacking the System

While you cannot control your nervous system, you can engage in activities and practices that encourage the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, thereby promoting a state of relaxation and calm. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can all stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and help shift the body from a sympathetic state to a parasympathetic state. These hacks work because they send a signal to your brain that the threat must be over and we are now safe. You can’t run from a bear if you are taking deep, relaxing breaths. By practicing relaxation and encouraging your body into a state of rest and digest, you can help train your body to transition more readily back into a parasympathetic state.

Massage for Your Nervous System

There are many types of massage and bodywork to chose from, selecting which is best for you depends on your preferences and goals for that treatment. For example, deep tissue might be great if you’re working to rehab an old injury, but it isn’t the best option if your goal is to de-stress. Massage does not automatically activate the parasympathetic response and aggressive massage can even have the opposite effect. To encourage the body into a state of “rest and digest”, we have to be careful about triggering our safety alarm system.

Your safety brain is watching

• Pressure – The deeper the massage, the more alert the safety brain becomes. Even if it doesn’t signal the alarm for pain, it is watching to make sure the massage doesn’t go too deep.
• Pain – The brain doesn’t care if you think it’s “good pain”, pain triggers the safety alarm and causes a stress response.
• Tempo – The speed of massage techniques matter. Slow, steady movements are more likely to lull you into a relaxed state verses sudden and stimulating strokes.
• Extreme Temperatures – Because both extreme heat and extreme cold can be dangerous, your safety brain pays close attention to temperature signals. While hot stones can feel great on sore muscles and ice is great for injuries, these therapies also keep the safety brain on alert.
• Environment – Your surrounding can have a direct impact on how relaxed you feel during your massage. A massage in a busy physical therapy office will feel very different from a quiet spa setting. Things like music, lighting, linens and even the decor can help create an atmosphere that invites relaxation.

We have designed our therapeutic services to encourage your nervous system into a parasympathetic state. Our goal is to help you experience deep relaxation during your sessions and make it easier for you to transition from a state of stress to one of rest.