Lately I’ve been called to talk about nervous system range and capacity.
The other day I even started a video series on the topic.
But today I wanted to write about something that’s often called nervous system “load”.
It’s also often called “stress” or “stressors”.
Now, I think it’s important to distinguish and understand what exactly what that means, particularly in a culture where we automatically assume “stress” is “bad” and is something we need to “minimize”, “reduce”, or basically make go away.
This kind of thinking leaves us in a kind of conundrum – because “stress” is a part of life!
So load on our nervous system isn’t really a bad thing.
The real issue is that we totally gaslight ourselves about stressors and load all the fucking time.
You remember right?
That time you were super cranky and you wanted to scream at everyone, then you got your period the next day and remembered “Oh, yeah! No wonder I was so grumpy!”
We do it all of the time because for the most part, we operate from a place and in a culture that totally disregards our biology, then blames our biology as “problematic” – yeah.
I can assure you, your nervous system is not fucked.
It is totally fine and built and designed with a supreme intelligence that we are only beginning to scratch the surface with our limited awareness.
You are not broken.
I am not broken.
Story time.
There is a reason I am writing about stressors today.
Today I recognized my own needs for taking care of my own nervous system.
I live in an environment and culture that is inherently noisy.
I did not grow up in an environment and culture that is inherently noisy.
You see, it’s easy to not be 100% consciously aware of the loads that are a constant hum drum of information flooding our nervous system – however my body let’s me know.
That’s why, like today, when I wake up feeling kinda shitty, I don’t take it as a sign that something is wrong with me or the world. It’s not personal. It’s just my beautiful and intelligence life force giving me feedback for all of the information it has been receiving.
When we receive information through our nervous system, all of this is load.
Depending on our unique makeup, our animal instincts, and design, we all respond to these stimuli differently.
My morning fatigue and lethargy wasn’t just because “oh, I guess I’m not taking care of myself … judgy judgy bs self talk”.
I felt into it.
It felt like hair trigger sensitivity (oh, yeah, I’m in my ovulation cycle right now) in my whole sensory system and heightened intuitive awareness. You see, although there are periods and cycles where my own rhythms and biology easily filter excess “noise”, today was not one of them.
So I decided to ask my body – what do you need to feel nurtured, nourished, supported right now?
S I L E N C E
Oh, the gift of silence!
In this noisy culture, my whole body was craving a sigh of relief from roosters, and dogs, and local traffic.
My system was just wanting to bathe in the nourishment of it’s own connection to life force.
So here I find myself, writing, reading, contemplating, with the a/c on so that I can close all of the doors and windows and turn down the volume of the whole world for a few hours.
Precious. Precious. Silence.
Here’s the thing.
Having healthy nervous system range doesn’t mean we are impervious to being “triggered”.
It means we are inherently connected to the real time feedback of the receiving and processing of all of the information with our whole selves.
It is not necessarily “pretty”, or neat and tidy and calculated.
However it does honour our natural intelligence and by listening to this intelligence in real time. Not by delaying our needs for arbitrary reasons – and if it’s a biological need, all reasons are arbitrary.
This is what it means to take care of ourselves, to nurture ourselves.
This is true self care!
Not mani-pedis and spa days.
I’m not trying to demonize spa days, but my point is that self care does not look a certain way.
Self care is always putting your inherent biology first. It’s honouring and respecting your innermost being.
And that looks different for each of us.
And it doesn’t require delay.
And it’s dead fucking simple.
The only bit that complicates things is that we tend to overthink the simplicity of it all.
Eat when you are hungry.
Ask your body what it feels like eating.
Does it want more salt?
Maybe the weather is changing and your body is needing something other than the usual.
By the way, this is another kind of “load” – we are seasonal animal beings who need time to adapt to our environment.
Self care is not something we “do”, it’s a way of living our lives.
It’s embodiment.
It’s willing to listen and not judge the information my body is receiving, processing, and expressing.
Today, I honour the gift of silence.
I let my nervous system bath in it’s beauty and restorative nature.
I take the time.
I take time.