Our autonomic nervous system – the part of the nervous system which operates silently, almost completely underneath conscious awareness – connects the brain with all our essential organs. In very simple terms, its understood to have two modes/ branches – sympathetic and parasympathetic. They’re both essential and ideally we move freely and easily as required from one to the other.
The sympathetic branch. What most of us know as fight, flight or freeze mode is called upon when we’re faced with a (real or perceived) threat. When triggered, an almost immediate chain reaction occurs with the purpose of preparing the body for survival.
The parasympathetic branch. Also often termed the rest and digest state – is where the body is in balance – where we should ideally spend most of our time. From an evolutionary perspective – this state was essential as it allowed our ancestors to complete a number of essential biological functions like digest food and procreate. We go there when threat has passed.
Our ancestors might have had a much clearer delineation between these two states. And ideally, spent longer at rest.
These days, in general, we don’t face the threats that our systems evolved to protect us from (saber-tooth tigers etc) but we have the same wiring as those cave folk, and let’s face it, current threats are many and extreme. Our bodies respond to these threats in EXACTLY the same way as they would faced with a tiger. What’s more, with such widespread access to “reminders” of these threats coming at us from every angle – (the news, work/school prep, even memories, thoughts and prayers) we are likely all spending long periods of time in sympathetic activation – whether we’re aware of it or not. Our modern caves with their 24/7 facilities do us no favours there.
To protect our health, it’s really important to notice the “constant on” in ourselves and do what we can to invite the rest state – give our bodies a chance to recover.
It’s only in this state that our bodies to re calibrate and truly get a chance to heal.
Are you setting some time aside to heal this weekend?
Read for some ideas to get you the extra rest you need:
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