Four signs your nervous system is dysregulated, according to experts

Between talk of high cortisol, burnout, inflammation and a dysregulated nervous system, you’d be forgiven for being stressed about handling your stress.

The latter has become a point of particular fascination online, where it’s not uncommon to encounter social media videos explaining how to tell if your nervous system is regulated. Or, if it isn’t, how to reset it.

Some of the most popular remedies proffered include humming, cold plunges or tapping your chest.

We asked experts to provide some clarity to the meaning behind a “dysregulated” nervous system and how to deal with high stress.

Can my nervous system be dysregulated?

The nervous system is the body’s communication network that links the brain and the rest of the body.

Amy Loughman, a clinical neuropsychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, says it’s up for interpretation as to what’s meant when discussing the “nervous system” because it can describe multiple functions.

In this context, Loughman believes people are referring to the autonomic nervous system.

“That’s the bit that controls the organs, blood vessels, muscles and things that are not normally in conscious control,” she says. “One branch of the autonomic nervous system is the sympathetic nervous system, which you’ve likely heard of.”

The sympathetic nervous system responds to stressors and controls the body’s fight or flight response.

“When the stress response is working well, it perceives a threat and sends a whole lot of energy to the sympathetic nervous system so you can fight, flight or freeze,” Loughman explains. “So even though you might feel stressed at the time, that’s a regulated system that is working as intended.”

A dysregulated nervous system isn’t a formal diagnosis, says Jodie Lowinger, a clinical psychologist and founder of The Anxiety Clinic.

“It’s a descriptive way of talking about a nervous system that’s become stuck in a heightened or shut-down state, or that swings between the two more than the situation warrants,” she says.

How can I tell?

There are a few signs of a dysregulated nervous system.

Lowinger says it can look like:

• A racing heart and shallow breathing that persist long after the trigger has passed.
• Feeling wired but exhausted.
• Snapping at small frustrations.
• Struggling to concentrate or sleep or, at the other end, feeling flat, foggy, numb or disconnected.

While it can be a helpful way to describe a real feeling, Lowinger cautions against using nervous system language to catastrophise a normal human stress response.

“Feeling activated before a big meeting or flat after a hard week isn’t necessarily a ‘dysregulated nervous system’ requiring an elaborate healing protocol,” she says.

Loughman adds the diagnosis of the feeling isn’t as important as the impact on function.

“People live with various symptoms, but if they are not finding them disabling for what they want to do day-to-day, then they don’t need to be diagnosed, in a sense,” she says.

When symptoms interfere with your ability to function, especially during enjoyable activities, Loughman says it’s worth seeking additional support.

Can I hit reset on my nervous system?

There is no scientific basis to the idea of “resetting” your nervous system, says Loughman.

“That terminology comes with particular connotations of a switch,” she says. This feeds the incorrect assumption that it’s a simple problem with a quick fix.

Loughman goes on to explain that social media “hacks” to reset your nervous system oversimplify health and wellbeing. They can also make individuals feel solely responsible for how they are feeling.

“There are actually a whole lot of factors – micro and macro, economic, societal, political – that can have us feeling stressed,” says Loughman. “That’s not because we haven’t taken five breaths this morning.”

If you are feeling particularly overwhelmed, Loughman suggests using stress reduction techniques which can improve your long-term stress management. These include:

• Physical activity.
• Getting enough sleep and improving sleep quality.
• Looking at whether your stress is circumstantial. Is it a stressful time at work or is it always a stressful time at work?
• Diet.
• Time in nature and creative activities.
• Social connection.
• Meditation and mindfulness.

For immediate stress relief, Loughman says mindfulness techniques are effective in connecting you with the present moment.

She says that life can be generally stressful, and instead of searching for an immediate solution online, the opportunity for prevention is missed.

“It is rarely the question asked, but why are you feeling overwhelmed in the first place?”

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