Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system (also known as ANS) is a network of nerves throughout your body that control unconscious processes like breathing and your heart beating.

There are 2 states: active and at rest.

Your Sympathetic (think S, stress) Nervous System gets activated in times of need, especially with stress - fight or flight.

Your Parasympathetic (think P, pause) Nervous System is the rest - digest, and reset.

Neither state is better than the other.   You need them both, however we sometimes get stuck too long in one vs. the other and that is when our body gets imbalanced.

So if you are “on” too much and need to take a break or “off” too much and need a boost of energy, what are things you can do?

Triggering Parasympathetic:

• Breathing - the exhale emphasizes the parasympathetic so 2–to-1 breathing with your exhale is twice as long as your inhale. 

• Meditation

• Mild exercise such as a walk

• Yoga

Triggering Sympathetic: 

• Strenuous Exercise

Check out the button below for a downloadable “cheat sheet” on the Autonomic Nervous System!