How To Know If Your Nervous System is Dysregulated
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Nothing is obviously wrong, but you don’t feel right; something is off in your body. There is work to be done, and you are responsible and accountable for your obligations, so there is no time to stop now. Deep within your body, it’s off balance; you can feel it. Something isn’t quite right, but you push through your day. You’re not in danger, and you are able to complete tasks and perform, but this is unfamiliar. What is happening? This may be a sign that your nervous system is dysregulated.
This is neither overaction nor weakness. Your body is telling you it’s unsteady and goes to all the measures to protect you from an emergency, but doesn’t know how to turn off the danger signals.
Unexplained physical symptoms, persistent anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and chronic exhaustion are not just stress. Your body is stuck. It’s surviving and has lost the ability to recover or restore. This affects both the mental and physical symptoms that impact our thoughts, behaviors, immune system, and digestive system.
Does this sound familiar and a little too close for comfort?
Let’s go through the signs and symptoms of a deregulated nervous system and see if any of this relates to what you are experiencing.
Dysregulated Defined
The nervous system is like a command center for your body and is composed of these two branches:
- sympathetic system
- parasympathic system
These systems are autonomic and work together within your body to activate the fight-or-flight response or support rest or digestion. When you are in a normal state of balance, your nervous system functions as expected, responding to the threat of harm.
In a healthy nervous system, if the body is alerted to danger, it kicks into the fight-or-flight (sympathetic) response; when the danger passes, it rests and recovers (parasympathetic).
So when you’re “stuck,” your body’s systems aren’t returning to baseline easily. It remains in stress and protection mode.
It’s like when your washing machine is off balance: it still runs through the cycles, but it needs to be rebalanced for the clothes to spin evenly.
You are not broken; your nervous system is protecting you, allowing you to continue exerting all your effort. This is the “stuck” part.
How did you get here? Basically, the ongoing workload, your long-term stressors, such as caregiving or emotional overload.
Why Nervous System Dysregulation Happens
Several factors contribute to your nervous system overload, which keeps it responding and surviving. An example would be you helping your loved one as a constant caregiver.
This demanding role checks all the boxes when you are experiencing nervous system dysregulation. At this point, your emotions, mind, body, and behavior have been affected. The flexibility is no longer there for your body to switch back easily.
This habit of pushing through instead of pausing has now triggered a chronic state of survival mode. It’s difficult for your body to rest, feel safe, and recover because the sympathetic nervous system is dysregulated or unstable.
Your body needs to know it is safe, to allow rest, recovery, and relaxation. Your body is working to protect you, and you may experience some of these symptoms:
- anxiety that has no clear indication of the trigger
- emotional shutdown
- irritability
- feeling overwhelmed
- fatigue not improving with rest
- muscle tension, such as jaw clenching
- headaches migraines
- feeling your heart beating fast
- dizziness
- brain fog, concentration problems
- racing thoughts
There are also behavioral patterns that show up daily. You may begin to notice that you are procrastinating and staying constantly busy, which is a way of avoiding slowing down. You may feel numb, find it difficult to rest without feeling guilty, and overwork yourself despite being completely exhausted. There are some misunderstandings regarding your nervous system being dysregulated.
What People Often Get Wrong About Nervous System Dysregulation
How do you talk to yourself? Do you give yourself the same advice you would a close friend or family member?
Labeling yourself as lazy or as lacking discipline leads you to tell yourself you should be doing something or that it’s unproductive. The pressure to think that rest alone should fix this is a huge misunderstanding. There are different types of “rest,” and sleeping is only one of them.
Given that your nervous system is in overload, the chronic effects of a dysregulated nervous system include:
- Reduced sleep quality
- Imbalances in hormones
- drained and weak Immune system
- Chronic inflammation in the body
- Emotional burnout
Your body stays in survival mode, which leads to emotional, mental, and physical illness over time.
Reframe Gently
Your nervous system dysregulation is a state, not your identity—a protection that keeps your system free from danger. As the body continues to feel unsafe, it will keep you safe until it can rest and recover once the danger is gone.
With a constant risk flag in your body, you need protection, which means safety first. For that reason, your body’s ability to recognize when danger has passed determines whether your nervous system ends up dysregulated.
The first step is awareness: recognizing your need to support your nervous system in resetting it, and how to gently get started. It’s not a quick fix with one answer.
Simple Ways to Support Your Nervous System
Starting with a few simple practices will help your nervous system to feel supported, loved, and nurtured. Simple, short-acting, immediate-relief ideas start the transformation toward feeling better in different areas.
Forcing the “calm” is not healing. Equally, be mindful that you need to create safety for your body through consistent routines to maintain balance and wellness, and to relearn the safety your body needs for resilience. Your body is communicating with you through signs of a dysregulated nervous system.
Please reach out to a health care professional for help if your symptoms worsen or become a crisis. Dial 988 (crisis lifeline) anytime, day or night, 24/7 to speak to a trained crisis counselor. They have local resources to assist you.
Trauma-related Dysregulation
Trauma-related dysregulation is your body holding on to the trauma and staying on high alert to the point of feeling “the world is unsafe”. Repairing trauma dysregulation would involve exploring options with different types of therapies, such as EMDR or cognitive behavioral therapy, as examples.
EMDR treats mental health conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A trauma doesn’t have to be violent; it can be anything from emotional neglect, chronic stress, unstable childhood, medical, or unsafe repeated experiences. This mental health condition would require professional help through a mental health provider.
You can begin your wellness journey by regulating through your body first. Simple techniques that are flexible anywhere or any place include:
- Slow breathing with the exhale longer than the inhale.
- Reduce stimulation, such as a noisy environment ( love my noise canceling head phones) or irritating tones on your phone
- Short body reset with walking, stretching, or just stepping outside
- Name what you’re feeling, write it down like a brain dump. Journaling, speak it out loud
- Splash cold water on your face
- Temperature regulation, such as a cold or hot shower
Set up your predictability and safety
Check in with your sleep hygiene. Do you have consistent sleep routines? Is your sleeping area comfortable? Are you doing activities in bed instead of sleeping, such as scrolling on social media or watching the news? Keep a consistent sleep routine, getting up and going to bed at the same times each day. That means no sleeping in on the weekends.
These distractions, like reading or screen time on her phone, train your brain to stay awake in bed, and your sleep schedule becomes chaotic.
Don’t forget to eat regular, balanced meals. The nutrition from nourishing foods replenishes your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs.
Reducing the overstimulation was huge for me. I recognized that too much noise, hustle, and bustle really affected me. It was necessary for me to step into a quiet zone for recovery.
Being in nature, whether it’s walking outside, hiking, or wandering through my flower garden in search of blooms. I make sure I have a good pair of walking shoes for outdoor use.
Setting healthy boundaries is for you. Not keeping other people away. It is about protecting yourself while setting clear expectations for others. By teaching your nervous system safety, you’re telling it to relax.
Get the help you need when it comes to trauma-related nervous system regulations. Reach out to a health care provider for options and direction.
Creating safety rather than forcing relaxation, you will begin to repair a dysregulated nervous system. Repairing begins with creating:
- A safety zone for yourself through body-based regulation
- Consistent routines, such as yoga (my personal favorite), helped me fall in love with this yoga mat, which has excellent grip and alignment guidance for beginners like me.
- Trauma-informed therapy
Summing up
Your dysregulated nervous system is carrying quite a bit. Begin the journey back to peace and function without the intensity of extra pressure. Start small with slow breathing exercises. Find a breathing exercise you enjoy most and feel instant relief in that moment. There are a variety of styles to explore. Use this free printout to review and practice. Print it out and keep it with you as a reference.
Use therapies that support your nervous system, and stick to consistent schedules, such as your sleep schedule. Some factors that impact your healing are the length of stress or trauma exposure, current safety and support measures, and your access to trauma-informed care.
There is no fixed timeline for how long healing takes. Some people heal rather quickly, within a few weeks; others within months to years, depending on the severity.
The dysregulated nervous system is intended to heal when it embraces safety and support.
Maybe your body isn’t failing you.
Maybe it’s asking for rest, safety, and a slower pace than the world allows.
I share more gentle reflections and practical nervous system support inside The Gentle Reset Letter if you’d like company along the way.
I share more gentle reflections and practical nervous system support inside The Gentle Reset Letter if you’d like company along the way.
This is for educational purposes only. If you are in a crisis or have any thoughts of hurting yourself or anyone else, please call the crisis hotline 988, 911, or go to the closest emergency room for evaluation. This does not replace professional help.
References:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22641-emdr-therapy
