Calming the nervous system - away from fight or flight

How is our nervous system structured?

Before we look at how we can calm the nervous system, let's take a quick look at how it is structured in the first place. Attention, this is going to be a bit complicated. Let's explore the nervous system piece by piece:

Our nervous system consists of the brain, the spinal cord and all the nerves in the body. We differentiate between the central and peripheral nervous system. The main focus here is on the location of the associated parts. Central refers to the brain and spinal cord - the "command centers" of our nervous system. Peripheral refers to all nerves that originate in the brain and spinal cord and run through the entire body.

The peripheral nervous system

In the next step, we want to take a closer look at the peripheral nervous system. This is the nervous system that receives all information from the environment (such as a loud noise behind you) via the sensory organs and nerves and transmits it to the brain or spinal cord. This in turn generates responses to our environment, which are then transmitted outwards via the peripheral nervous system and result in a reaction (e.g. you startle and look around for the cause of the noise).

The peripheral nervous system is divided according to its function into a somatic and an autonomic nervous system. The nerves that belong to the somatic nervous system are primarily responsible for our body's movement processes. We can largely control this part of the nervous system at will - for example, you can control whether you want to raise or lower your arm.

When we talk about the fact that our nervous system is in turmoil and we want to regulate the nervous system, the main aim is to calm the autonomic nervous system.

What is the autonomic nervous system?

For the most part, we cannot directly control the autonomic nervous system. It functions without our voluntary intervention - and that's a good thing. The autonomic nervous system is constantly active and regulates all of our bodily functions, which always have to take place, regardless of whether we are thinking about them or not. This includes, for example, the heartbeat, breathing and our metabolism.

The autonomic nervous system acts as two major opposing forces - and yes, of course these also have their own names. The two opposing forces are:

The sympathetic nervous system

The sympathetic nervous system activates our body and prepares us for physical or mental performance (also known as the "fight or flight response"). For example, activation of the sympathetic nervous system causes the heart to beat faster, the airways to expand and functions that are not currently necessary - such as digestion - to be inhibited.

The parasympathetic nervous system

The parasympathetic nervous system - or parasympathetic nervous system - does exactly the opposite. It ensures relaxation, activates digestion and stimulates various metabolic processes (this is what we call "resting and digesting").

The interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system is now also what is relevant for us when we want to calm our nervous system.

How our nervous system reacts to stress

In dangerous situations and under stress, the sympathetic nervous system triggers a cascade of neurological and hormonal reactions to help us cope with the situation: Adrenaline ensures that your muscles are better supplied with blood, cortisol keeps you on your toes and endorphins help you not to panic. Your heartbeat accelerates, your blood pressure rises and you breathe faster. Your muscles are tense, your sensitivity to pain decreases and your senses are heightened. Your body and mind are on alert - this is a stress response.

The stress response cycle

Let's imagine ourselves in the Stone Age: The danger is an approaching sabre-toothed tiger. What do you do? Not you, but your brain decides in less than a second which reaction gives you the best chance of survival. Either fight is activated or your brain decides that flight is your best chance. So you run and manage to escape. You are deeply relieved! Your body returns to relaxation and you feel gratitude and joy. The stress reaction cycle is over.

Good to know: There is also a third stress reaction of your nervous system. We call this freeze. Freezing happens when your brain comes to the conclusion that you don't stand a good chance either by fighting or fleeing. In this case, your best chance of survival is to play dead until the danger has passed. While your sympathetic nervous system is already running at full speed (heart pumping, muscles tense), your brain slams on the brakes - the parasympathetic nervous system floods the sympathetic nervous system and you switch off.

Ending the stress response cycle and calming the nervous system

The good news is that in many situations where there is a short-term activation of the sympathetic nervous system and one of the above reactions (such as a loud bang, a car suddenly appearing or a barking dog), the body is already quite good at ending the stress response cycle and calming the nervous system itself as soon as the danger has been averted. The sympathetic nervous system then shuts down and the parasympathetic nervous system is activated - the body relaxes.

However, things are different in times when we are under constant stress. In our modern age, the threats have changed somewhat. Whereas our ancestors had to run away from or fight against the sabre-toothed tiger, the stress factors today are completely different. Constant tension caused by constant availability, overtime, city noise, mental load and a thousand to-dos is hard to shake off. As a result, we sometimes don't really get into the parasympathetic response because the sympathetic nervous system simply remains permanently activated - in other words, we are permanently "under power". And even if we manage to end the stress cycle one day, the same stress often occurs again the next day. The cycle starts all over again.

Can physical activation regulate the nervous system?

What do you do when you're being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger in the Stone Age? You run.

What do you do when you're stressed out by all the bureaucracy and demands of the 21st century? You run. Or swim. Or dance around the living room and sing along to Taylor Swift's "Shake it off". Or maybe you sweat it all out in a fitness class.

It will come as no surprise to you when we tell you that sport is good for you. It's nothing new that sport can help combat stress and improve your health and mood. But why is that? Physical activity helps you to release all that adrenaline and cortisol and signals to your brain that you have successfully survived the threat and are safe again. Physical activity is one of the most effective strategies for ending the stress response cycle and preventing burnout - one of the most common consequences of chronic stress - in the long term.

Other exercises to calm the nervous system

Any kind of physical activity is therefore the means of choice in the fight against stress and burnout. But it's not the only way to effectively end the stress cycle. Here are six more strategies for you:

Have you ever seen a video of a gazelle fleeing from a lion? After the gazelle is safe and the immediate danger (the lion) is no longer present, it begins to shake itself vigorously for a short while. This is an instinctive reaction to get rid of the remaining stress and accumulated energy. And it doesn't just work in the animal kingdom. We humans can also get rid of our stress by shaking it out of us for a few minutes. This can be done by jumping, dancing or even classic shaking.

A few deep and slow breaths into your belly can work wonders and regulate your nervous system. A simple exercise is the 4-7-8 breathing technique: as you inhale, count slowly to 4, then hold your breath as you count to 7 and finally exhale as you count to 8. Do this for a few rounds and you will notice how relaxation slowly spreads. Other relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), can also be helpful here. wie zum Beispiel die Progressive Muskelrelaxation (PMR) können hier hilfreich sein.

Similar to breathing exercises, regular meditation and mindfulness exercises can calm the mind and nervous system and help you to strengthen your stress resilience if practiced regularly on a daily basis. Just a few minutes a day is enough. You can find many videos and apps that can give you helpful instructions.

If we are already in a stressful phase of life, it puts even more strain on our body and nervous system if we don't get enough sleep. Therefore, make sure you get enough rest at night and use the 10 rules of sleep hygiene to improve your sleep. If you have problems falling asleep or staying asleep, the techniques from the online therapy course Empowerment Avenue Sleep can also help you.

Sometimes we tend not to allow ourselves to let our emotions out. You don't want to play into the supposed cliché of the "hysterical woman" or you live with the belief that "men aren't allowed to cry". But honestly - sometimes it can be really good to just let out your pent-up emotions. Put on some sad music, find a place where you won't be disturbed and just allow yourself to have a crying fit for a few minutes. Then blow your nose, sigh deeply and you will often feel much more relieved and liberated afterwards. This is another way to reduce stress and end the stress cycle.

Casual, friendly and affectionate social interactions are a good outward sign that the world is a safe place. Maybe give someone an unexpected compliment. This is an easy way to communicate to your brain that the world is a safe place and that not everyone sucks. Laughing together, a loving and long hug in a trusting context or an intimate kiss with your partner will also tell your brain that you have escaped the sabre-toothed tiger and arrived home safe and sound.

Learning to deal with stress better

So which of these strategies is best for you? In the end, this is completely individual and can vary depending on the day and situation. Just try out a few and see what works best for you to calm your nervous system. And then have the strategies that worked on hand for the next time you get stuck in the stress response cycle.

Want more support and even more effective strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy? If you're no stranger to stress and you're worried about burnout, the Burnout online therapy course can offer you quick help. Such therapy course was developed by experts in psychotherapy and helps you to effectively lower your stress levels, reduce burnout symptoms and find relaxation.