3 free ways to repair your nervous system
I keep thinking spring and summer are going to start but instead I wake up to cloudy skies and cooler temps. It has been a long winter season. A season where I wonder if this cold weather will turn to summer skies and buds that blossom. I am waiting for my yard to come alive, outdoor dinners, and long summer walks. A time when being outside becomes second nature.
As I wait for these warmer times and longer days with great anticipation, I am reminded how important it is to keep working with my nervous system. Not that it is something to fix but rather it is something to be with, fine tune, and make small adjustments over time. Often it is the smaller things that make a large impact when it comes to our bodies felt sense.
We also often forget that repairing the nervous system does not have to cost you a lot of money. Today I would like to share three things you can do for FREE to help bring more balance to your nervous system.
Sleep
We need 8-10 hours of sleep a night. But if you are like most people you are likely getting 6-7 hours and it is interrupted. When our sleep in interrupted it effects our hormones (which then affect our nervous system). I did a whole podcast on sleep that I recommend listening to.
Circadian rhythm is an internal biological clock that controls the sleep-wake cycle of a person. It is a natural process that occurs over a period of approximately 24 hours. The circadian rhythm is regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the hypothalamus of the brain. This is how it's linked to our hormones too because the hypothalamus plays a major role in our hormone health.
The SCN receives input from the eyes regarding light and darkness, which helps to regulate the circadian rhythm. Exposure to light in the morning helps to reset the biological clock and promote wakefulness. It also signals your brain to release melatonin in 8-10 hours. Exposure to darkness in the evening continues promote the release of the hormone melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep.
In short, get outside first thing and stay away from bright lights (especially blue lights) a couple hours before bed and watch your sleep improve!
Maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle and practicing good sleep hygiene can help to regulate the circadian rhythm and promote healthy sleep. Other FREE things that can promote better sleep include:
Regulating your blood sugar throughout the day
Watch alcohol and caffeine consumption
Exercise
Take off your sunglasses
Don't get on your phone until AFTER you've seen natural sunlight
Avoid bright lights and blue lights 2-3 hours before bed
Rest
Rest is not sleep nor is it walking, journaling, or doing something. It is doing nothing such as staring at the sunset or sunrise, or listening to bird song.
Rest is important because it allows the body to recover from physical and mental exertion. Rest can also help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. Incorporating rest into your daily routine can help to balance the demands of work and other activities with the need for relaxation and recovery.
I literally schedule rest into my schedule, otherwise it would not happen.
Play
Last but not least, PLAY. Play is an important activity that can help to regulate the nervous system and promote overall well-being. When we engage in play, our bodies release endorphins, which are natural chemicals that help to reduce stress and promote feelings of happiness and well-being.
Play helps to improve cognitive function and promote neural plasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt and change in response to new experiences.
Play can help to reduce the risk of stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression.
When we engage in play we are awake and feel alive, all while being in our window of tolerance. It teaches our bodies that it is safe to be in these states without tipping into anxiety or heading the other direction into shutdown. It literally re-wires our brain that these increased states are safe, where most of us are wired to feel them as not safe.
Play is an important activity that can help to promote the health and well-being of the nervous system. By incorporating play into your daily routine, you can reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and promote overall health and well-being.
I also schedule this into my routine so that I am sure to have time and energy to do this. Plus, when I play, I sleep better!
I hope these ideas give you a few free ways to start to create more balance in your nervous system and overall health.