We all have nervous systems and during times of crisis and increased stress, such as what we’re experiencing with the current pandemic, our nervous systems will be affected and reacting. The human body has not changed with the modern world, and our nervous systems are designed to deal with very real threats. Within our complete nervous system, we actually have two different response systems - an easy way to think of this is like a gas pedal and a break.  Our sympathetic nervous system works as the “gas pedal”, and when activated, works to “speed us up". It prepares us to take action - to fight or flee, and sends a rush of stress hormones throughout the body, resulting in a number of physiological responses - increased heartrate, perspiration, muscle tension, slowed digestion, etc. This system of our body works very well in that it equips us to immediately respond to immediate danger and/or assists us with responding to the daily stressors of life - such as increased energy and focus for a big school or work presentation.

The second part of our nervous system- the Parasympathetic system - serves to slow our bodies back down, to work as the break to slow our speed and prepare our body for rest and digestion. This signals our bodies to slow our heart-rates, relax our muscles, and allow the body to resume food digestion.

These two parts of our nervous system are constantly working together to allow our bodies to prepare for and take on the tasks of every day life. Whenever we are experiencing stress in small and/or short doses, we are able to experience these ups and downs daily while still remaining in a resilient zone and without our mental health being impacted in a negative way.

For all individuals, we have what is known as our “resilient zone”. To understand your resilient zone, think of how it feels when you are mentally in a place where you can confidently handle the daily life stressors that are thrown at you. You may have things happen in your day that causes your nervous system to increase, such as traffic or a work deadline, where you feel some systems of your body speeding up and becoming a bit more tense, but once the stressor has gone away, you are able to quickly return to a relaxed and normal responsive state. You may become annoyed at something, but you don’t fly off the handle. Something in your day may bring some sadness, but you are not crying uncontrollably.

Each individual’s Resilient Zone will vary depending on a number of factors including a history of trauma, natural pre-disposition, and current life stressors. However, for everyone, when we find ourselves exposed to longer term stress and uncertainty, such as a global pandemic and job loss, or the stress of changing all of our daily habits, routines and environments all at once, our resilient zones become more narrow. What this means is that instead of somewhat small wave of responses during a day - slight irritability, calm and relaxed, excitement, then back to neutral, etc., we may find ourselves with heightened and more extreme nervous system responses and may find ourselves “stuck” in the high zone - increased anxiety, hypervigilance, insomnia, and irritability, or in the low zone - numbness, depression, excessive crying, exhaustion. Or cycling between high and low.

The good news is that if you are experiencing being stuck in high or low or a cycle of the two:

1. You are not broken, you are a human responding to extreme stressors.

2. There are many tools available to help bring your nervous system back into balance and widen your resilient zone.

Remember, during times of extreme and prolonged stress, your resilient zone will naturally not be as wide as during other times. This means that many will find they need more forms of self-care than they may normally, and increased time spent on self-care. It is also important to lower expectations of what one will be able to accomplish during this time. When our nervous systems are constantly on “alert”, it is exhausting. Do what you can do and let that be enough. We do not yet know when this situation will end, but it will end.

Tools to Help Balance Your Nervous System and Widen Your Resilient Zone:

• Speak with a therapist. A therapist can help to identify triggers and emotions and provide tools for working through emotional responses. Oftentimes, the mere act of identifying exactly what we are feeling and why can help to ease feelings of overwhelming emotions.

  • Help with locating a therapist can be found here: Find a Therapist

• Check-in with friends and family regularly. While we are practicing physical distancing, it is important to remain socially connected. If you’re able, find a friend or family member that you are able to lean on and make a pact to check-in with each other regularly and see how each other are doing emotionally. If you do not have someone you feel comfortable speaking with open and honestly, there are now many hotlines available to call in and chat or text with someone about what you’re going through:

  • Free NC phone lines to connect with support

• Make time to be in nature. If you live in a place where you are able, try to spend some time in nature each day. Whether that is taking a walk, sitting on a patio listening to the birds, or tending to a garden or potted plants.

• Move when you have the chance. Whether you get the most from a heart-pounding run, or slow stretching feels the most nourishing to you. If possible, find a way to move and connect with your body every day. It’s not uncommon to feel disconnected from our bodies during times of stress. Daily movement can help us to check-in with the sensations of our body, helping to identify when we may be experiencing tension, and allowing us to relax and feel more grounded.

• Rest when you feel the need to rest. It is an important time to listen to the needs of our bodies. If you are feeling exhausted and like you need to rest, if at all possible, take that time to rest.

• Journal, read, listen to your favorite music. When it comes to our emotions, the only way out is through. Whatever may help you connect with and express your emotions may be helpful to alleviate a feeling of overwhelm. And music can be a fantastic tool for altering our emotional state. For some, if you find yourself stuck in a low zone, listening to uplifting or upbeat music can quickly help bring you up. Know of a song that always brings out that need to dance - turn that sucker up!

• Limit exposure to the news. If possible, limit your daily news check-ins to once, or at most twice a day and limit the amount of time spent consuming news updates.