Ways to calm your autonomic nervous system when you are losing control

Mental health is also physical, which is why you can't neglect your autonomic nervous system. Our nervous system is a control centre for everything we feel, think, and engage with. The part of our system that is not in our conscious control is often recognized as the autonomic nervous system (ANS). When you ask someone to calm down when they are feeling anxious, it fails big time because you are talking to the automatic brain!

When we think about the underlying mechanisms behind anxiety, we find a fight and flight response that prepares us for survival. On the other hand, we have a parasympathetic system that works hard to bring about a sense of balance. When you feel a loss of control, it is essential to learn how to regulate your ANS.

How can I calm my autonomic nervous system and feel relief? (Image via Pexels/ Keira Burton)

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Ways to calm your autonomic nervous system

Recognising the role of your nervous system in your mental health issues is vital. (Image via Freepik/ Stockking)

The sympathetic nervous system is trying to do everything it can to protect you. Unfortunately, it tries to do that even in the absence of real danger. This means that even when a real threat is not present, your fight or flight response becomes activated.

When one part of your brain always feels that you are in danger, it can become hard for it to slow down or be in the present. Here are a few ways to take care of your ANS:

1. Deep breathing exercises

Perhaps you have heard about the role of deep breathing exercises in anxiety and are already unmotivated to try them. However, the research is much more convincing than what it has to show. A primary indication of anxiety or panic attacks is breathlessness. When you take deep breaths, you voluntarily activate your parasympathetic system.

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2. Mindfulness practices

Sometimes mindfulness just entails being in the present moment. (Image via Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio)

Being mindful doesn't necessarily mean that you have to do an entire yoga routine for anxiety. Rather, it means being comfortable with the present moment without judging it. Due to social media representations and our own experiences, we often feel threatened by the symptoms of anxiety. The aim of mindfulness is to befriend anxiety and recognize that it is not your enemy.

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3. Therapy

Therapy encompasses a wide range of tools that can enhance your well-being. Whether you want to work with a mental health professional or opt for aromatherapy, all therapies strive to enhance control over your autonomic nervous system. When you focus on emotional regulation in therapy, you automatically build on your resilience.

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A regulated nervous system is flexible and fluid. It’s able to shift into fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown mode when necessary and also shift back to a state of safety. Your brain needs to recognize that you can step into a space of safety where the threat is relatively low.

A dysregulated autonomic nervous system might be described as one that habitually moves into survival states. This might happen even when present-time circumstances and the environment are relatively safe. By incorporating some tools, you can gradually train your autonomic nervous system to feel safer.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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