The Key to a healthy nervous system!
Do you have a place where you feel most inspired? Maybe where your creative ideas or perspective comes flowing in? The shower? In nature? With a good friend?
I feel really inspired after a couple of hours in nature, and often by myself :)
I was on a delightful little trail hike overlooking the river, no other people insight, hand on a lovely ponderosa pine when I heard a deep purring sound.
I heard it a couple of times when my brain started scanning all the common outdoor noises until it concluded, not an airplane, not the river, etc.... I have never heard this before and it sounds like a big cat - it must be a MOUNTAIN LION.
My peaceful moment quickly turned into an increased heart rate and all my muscles preparing to RUN.
This here is a fine example of the switch from calm to fight/flight - parasympathetic to sympathetic tone in our nervous systems, which is by design. If I were truly in danger, this ancient technology in my nervous system is to my advantage to be able to help me get away!
However, thankfully, after a few moments of observing and listening, I found that there was no threat.
Now, this next part is a KEY sign of a healthy nervous system - after a few breaths, orienting myself, starting to feel safe again, my nervous system switched gears back into rest and relax mode.
I walked back to my car and was actually inspired to share this story, which to me is another sign that I moved out of stress mode. Inspiration, love, gratitude, enthusiasm are high emotional states. They don't fire at the same time that fear and stress do.
The key is switching gears, this is not a comparison game, based on our varying life experiences, healing, and coherence in our nervous systems we will all adapt uniquely, and it's perfectly ok if you don't "switch gears" until you get home in a safe familiar environment.
This is just one example of how quickly a sound or a mental thought can cause our bodies to perceive stress. Stress is not the enemy, we can actually befriend the cycles of stress and relaxation. The thing about stress is: this fight/flight mode actually switched off my logical thinking, running wouldn't be the smartest thing to do in the face of a mountain lion, and it wasn't the appropriate time of day to see a mountain lion.
So, can you imagine how stress might be switching off your logical thinking in other scenarios?? Like, someone says something that makes you feel embarrassed or angry, you switch gears into fight/flight and are suddenly reacting with a fraction of your intelligent mind online!
If you find yourself in fight/flight mode over the course of hours, days, months or years, your mind gets shut down AND your heart and soul go offline. You're no longer led by the joys and pleasures of life, and what uniquely light you up, instead you're stuck in survival mode.
Sadly, this is super common today and if you are here right now, I want you to know that you do not have to stay there.
Our bodies are incredibly resilient and adaptable with the right information they can learn how to fire and run new nervous system programs that better serve you and allow you to feel more free, "like a teenager again" I heard someone say the other day!
What would come alive in you if were less stuck in survival mode?
Check out:
+ Well-Resourced Woman (Free Webinar)
To start your nervous system healing journey, or attune back into it if it's been some time.
I will also be sharing more about my in-person work next week as truly transformational work to re-pattern your nervous system out of survival mode & into thriving!