Healthy Swaps - Nervous System Edition
Do you feel overwhelmed throughout the day? There are many ways to care for your nervous system and a lot of them are free! Read on for a few of my favorite ways to create calm in my body without any expensive tools.
#1 is Huge! Don’t check your phone as soon as you wake up. This starts your mind on a cycle of checking and responding all day. Trust me - you have time to drink some water, get outside or open the window for some morning sun, and eat breakfast. Once the day starts, it won’t stop, so take a few moments in the morning to cultivate calm.
#2 Exchanging a negative habit at any point in your day with a positive one. Do you and your coworker gossip on your lunch hour? Shifting that conversation to one of gratitude or praise, or exchanging it for a walk is a great way to support your parasympathetic nervous system. Taking breaks and appreciating your surroundings allows your body and brain to relax. Constant complaints communicate that something is wrong and a response is needed, thereby creating a fight-or-flight response. Gratitude and/or mindfulness practices are great to create a state of rest-and-digest.
#3 Being present when you eat allows your body to digest more quickly and completely. When you’re preparing your meal, take a moment to smell your food. When eating, don’t watch tv or scroll your phone. When we engage in habits like these, our brains and bodies think we’re in danger since we don’t have a moment to slow down and eat. Distractions cause our bodies to think that we must constantly scan our environment to assess danger, so focusing on eating is imperative.
#4 People thrive on routine, so even though it may be fun to stay up late on the weekends after a long work week, doing so compromises our circadian rhythm and adds unnecessary stress. Enjoy your life - don’t miss out on major events even if they compromise your sleep schedule! But as much as possible, try to stick to the same sleep/wake times.
Tools like grounding mats, blue blockers, and supplements are great, but thankfully, there are plenty of free and easy ways to influence your physical and mental health.
For additional support in this area, or to explore supplements and other lifestyle tools to help, click here to book time with me one-on-one.
In Wholistic Health,
Natalie