In a previous blog post, we defined trauma as being an event that has more emotion than the person can tolerate and which is perceived as life-threatening.
But what happens when we are reminded of the original trauma in our lives today?
In order to understand this fully, it’s important to recognise and understand the role of your autonomic nervous system (ANS).
The ANS tells your body how to physically respond to trauma or reminders of trauma. It does this through the sympathetic nervous system (your anxious state) and the parasympathetic nervous system (your relaxed state).
This post will explain the difference between the two and, when necessary, how to calm the sympathetic nervous system for more effective healing and a more relaxed life.
Understanding the sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system arouses and prepares the body to meet perceived danger.
We experience the sympathetic nervous system activation whenever we feel anxious. The more anxious we feel, the greater the symptoms. These can include:
- Increased sweating
- Quickened heartbeat
- Increased blood pressure
- Tastebuds less effective
- Very cold extremities (i.e. very cold hands and/or feet)
- Fidgety, restless, and unable to concentrate or listen effectively
- Less ability to digest
When the sympathetic nervous system is constantly on high alert, it can become overstimulated. As a result, the parasympathetic state has more work to do to try and stabilise the body’s automatic functioning.
Understanding the parasympathetic nervous system
For survivors of childhood trauma, it is really important that we develop more activation of our parasympathetic nervous system (our relaxed state) so that we can be healthier, more aware and feel less stressed.
The parasympathetic nervous system is largely responsible for calming the body and bringing it back to a state of relaxation once the danger has passed.
Physical signs of the parasympathetic system include:
- Slower heart beat
- Slower, deeper breathing
- Decreased blood pressure
- Constricted pupils
- Warm, dry skin
- Increased digestion
It’s important to note that we cannot heal when one state is dominant – achieving a balance between the parasympathetic and the sympathetic systems is the goal.
Achieving a healthy balance for effective healing
It’s important to our healing that we counteract the dominance of the sympathetic nervous system caused from our childhood trauma. We can do this by working on ways to calm our overactive sympathetic nervous system.
Here are some simple ways you can do this:
- Meditate
- Breathe (with an awareness of and concentration on your breath)
- Be still and connect with nature
- Practice yoga or listen to calm music
- Cry
- Relax in a bubble bath
- Walk with bare feet
- Gargle
- Hum/chant
- Pray
- Try to actively love all the things that are required of you in daily life (like cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc. or talking to people so as to lower your stress)
- Watch a movie you’ve already seen and see if you can remember what happened in it at the end!
- Wrap yourself in a blanket or hammock
The more we can become aware of being in our sympathetic nervous system, and the more we work on staying in our parasympathetic state for longer, the easier and more relaxed life becomes.
Learn more about healing and trauma recovery...
Heal For Life, by Liz Mullinar
How to Heal Yourself from the Pain of Childhood Trauma and Abuse
This practical guidebook for survivors of childhood trauma or abuse, presents the Heal For Life model of trauma-informed self healing that has already empowered thousands of survivors to find inner peace and hope for a brighter future. This book is highly recommended by survivors and mental health professionals alike.
