Dr. Stephen Porges introduced Polyvagal Theory in 1994, a groundbreaking concept that sheds light on how our nervous system influences our behavior and our perception of the world around us. This theory suggests that our nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating our responses to stress, anxiety, and trauma. By understanding and improving our neurological fitness, we can enhance our overall well-being.

The Benefits of Neurological Fitness

Neurological fitness offers numerous benefits that can improve both our mental and physical health. Some of the key positive affects include:

• Improved Mood and Emotional Balance: A well-regulated nervous system can lead to increased creativity and better emotional stability.
• Reduced Stress and Anxiety: By managing the body’s stress response, neurological fitness helps reduce feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.
• Better Sleep and Physical Recovery: A fit nervous system supports better sleep patterns and faster recovery from physical exertion.
• Increased Overall Resilience: Enhancing neurological fitness makes us more resilient to life’s challenges.

Moreover, neurological fitness positively impacts digestive function. Dysregulation often starts and stops with the digestive tract, leading to issues like IBS and bloating, gut microbiome imbalances, and more. By improving our nervous system’s health, we can alleviate these digestive problems.

Hormonal Balance and Neurological Fitness

A fit nervous system also has a significant affect on regulating the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, which directly affects our mood and emotional balance. It helps by:

• Decreasing Norepinephrine and Cortisol: These stress hormones are reduced, leading to a calmer state of mind.
• Increasing Oxytocin and Serotonin: These feel-good hormones are boosted, enhancing our mood and emotional well-being.

In today’s fast-paced world, our biggest challenge is often our own physical body. Many of you tell me you want more systems, habits, routines, and checklists. While these are great, they won’t be effective until you get a handle on your nervous system’s state. Think about how many planners you’ve bought, routines you’ve tried, and books you’ve read, only to find them ineffective after a short while. It’s not because you’re failing; it’s because your nervous system is in a dysregulated state.

The Three States of the Autonomic Nervous System

Polyvagal Theory describes three primary states of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), each responsible for different responses to stress and danger:

1. Ventral Vagal (Rest & Digest): This state is activated when the body feels safe and relaxed, supporting social engagement, slowing the heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, and enabling proper digestive function.
2. Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight): This state mobilizes defensive behaviors when the body is under stress or in danger. It increases heart rate and blood pressure, priming the body’s muscles for action.
3. Dorsal Vagal (Freeze): This state is triggered when the body is overwhelmed by stress or danger, leading to a dramatic drop in heart rate and blood pressure, and causing the body’s muscles to tense up for protection.

Awareness of these states is powerful. Recognizing when you’re in a dysregulated state, whether it’s fight or flight (anxiety, irritability, anger) or freeze (burnout, overwhelm, shutdown), is the first step. Once you’re aware, you can take action to improve your neurological fitness, much like physical fitness, to better shift between these states. There are balancing exercises that can help you transition from anxiety to stillness, from irritability to compassion, and from overwhelm to openness.

If you don’t want to wait or if you need more personalized support, book an Unstuck Session. This power hour will dive deep into your specific needs, equipping you with new tools and a tailored plan to help you show up as the mom, wife, and businesswoman you aspire to be.