We use the term sympathetic dominance to describe a chronically activated sympathetic branch of the nervous system (fight/flight/fawn/freeze response).
Common symptoms can include:
- Digestive issues
- Sleep issues
- Hormonal imbalance
- Blood sugar dysregulation
- Impaired cognitive function
- Muscle tightness (calves, shoulders, jaw)
- Fatigue
- Reactivity/overwhelm
- Anxiety/panic attacks
- Depression
Sympathetic dominance has become an epidemic due to chronic stressors at a physical, mental, emotional, nutritional, chemical and existential level. It is more important than ever to help the body get into a parasympathetic state to regulate the nervous system and recover.
Sources of stress:
- Physical: Chronic inflammation, overtraining, injury, sleep deprivation
- Mental: Over-working, over-thinking, worrying, constant task switching, doomscrolling
- Emotional: Unresolved emotional issues, PTSD, (anger, guilt, loneliness, sadness, fear)
- Chemical: heavy metal toxicity, polluted air/water, mold
- Nutritional: food allergies, deficiencies, inflammatory foods, gut dysbiosis
- Existential: financial pressure, difficult relationships, feeling lost, not feeling understood, loneliness
Only working at one or two levels will have limited impact. A big reason for starting our Rēset programs was to create one place to address as many of these factors as possible and provide education, experiences and tools to help regulate the nervous system. We have seen transformational results.
What can you do to reverse Sympathetic Dominance?
Aside from joining one of our Rēset programs helpful steps to take are:
- Following an anti-inflammatory diet by reducing/removing the most common inflammatory foods (dairy, gluten, soy, refined sugar, seed oils, highly processed foods). Everyone has a unique makeup with sensitivities, a Functional Health practitioner can help identify them.
- Breathe: a simple extended exhale done throughout the day helps to send a signal of safety to the body by activating the parasympathetic response.
- Move: slowly if you are fatigued e.g. walking in nature, move more if you have the energy.
- Ground in nature on grass/sand in the fresh air.
- Write down all pending tasks to get them out of your head. Journal/Morning Pages to reduce the chaos in your head.
- Connect with friends/family, ask for support, support others however you can.
- Get a water filter - even a basic Brita filter is better than tap water, reduce the use of plastic, get a HEPA filter for inside the home.
- Feed your good bacteria with polyphenols and resistant starch like red berries, plantain, fiber from veggies.
- Watch your thoughts. Every thought sends a signal to your body. Can you identify and reframe negative thoughts that aren’t helpful? The more you look for and appreciate what you want to create in your life, the more likely you will create it. Repetition and consistency are the key.
To dive much deeper into these themes, check out our Rēset programs.