Calm Your Nervous System In Turbulent Times
Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
I think everyone is feeling the weight of the heaviness going on in our world today. Natural disasters galore, wars abroad, crime and political chaos. As an empathetic person, hearing stories of others suffering is the thing that makes me heart-weary. And as a highly sensitive introvert, I find my nervous system in overdrive and my body and soul feeling that all this heaviness is bearing down on me. If you find yourself there too, here are some things you can do to help yourself cope.
Get in the Word: When I feel hope fleeting and soul weariness, it is always in indicator I need to renew my mind with the Word of God. Whether that looks like spending some extra quiet time with Jesus or listening to some sermons. I love listening to David Jeremiah and Greg Laurie while I am cleaning or driving back home from taking my kids to school.
Nature: Maybe you need to go and sit in the forest for a while and listen. Take deep breaths and let the sounds of nature calm you and restore you to parasympathetic mode. Take a walk and look up at the trees. Take your time but don’t listen to music or podcasts while you walk. Give your nervous system a rest and just think and be.
Take a media break: Sometimes I feel so tempted to look up the news updates from the hurricanes and natural disasters and how people are coping with it all. But, after a while, it all gets to be so much and I actually find myself feeling quite depressed. Take an intentional break and stay off the internet for a while. I sometimes put my phone on top of the fridge so it’s “out of sight, out of mind.” Read a book instead or…
Pray: When your mind is flooded with so many things and you are having an emotional reaction to them, it can feel so burdening. Unburden yourself to the Lord and pray for all of the people who are suffering. Cast your cares upon Him! (1 Peter 5:7) I find myself in constant conversation with God all day. Does that mean I have a lot of problems? Maybe. But I think He wants us to be in continuous communion with Him anyways. Thank God for every little blessing you have, as many as you can think of off the top of your head.
Natural Remedies: I’ve been having to take Bach’s Rescue Remedy daily and I always take magnesium at night for sleep and anxiety. Tulsi(Holy Basil) and Lemon Balm can also really help to calm and soothe the nerves, either in tea form or in capsule or tincture form. I sometimes need to take extra things to get myself a little stabilized emotionally, especially since my hormones seem to be on a rollercoaster lately. Taking methylated B complex does wonders for stress and grass-fed desiccated liver is like nature’s multivitamin.
Create a tranquil atmosphere: My nervous system goes haywire when the house is messy and cluttered! Take the time to clean and tidy your home. Get rid of the clutter! Think simple. Don’t listen to the advertisers who tell you that you need this or that. Studies show clutter causes stress and anxiety! Us humans are actually happiest when we live simply with less. Light some candles and put on some calming classical music or a soothing “ambiance video” on Youtube. Make yourself a cuppa tea.
Self Care: Maybe you need to take a nap. A half hour nap in the afternoons do wonders for my scattered and over-stimulated brain! Diffuse some lavender essential oil. Do a “brain dump” in your journal or notebook. Make a warm comforting meal to eat or maybe you need a Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup (as I often do). Take a hot shower or bath. There is something about hot water that creates a sensory experience that “resets” us. Watch a cozy movie or show. I like to watch “Bewitched”or “I Dream of Jeanie” because they are just fun and lighthearted. Sometimes I will walk on my walking pad for 20 minutes and watch a show because remember, exercise is self care too. Maybe you just need to cry? Let yourself FEEL. It’s a good thing to get those emotions out. Maybe you need a mantra to repeat in your head? One of mine is “Thank you Lord, that I am safe.”
I hope these help you to recenter and refocus. It is SO important for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing that we take the time to press pause so that we are not living our lives in constant “fight or flight” mode.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In light of his glory and grace.”
