The Role of Your Nervous System in Everyday Life: Why Regulation Matters
Feb 25, 2025 • Written by ARJUNA George CEC, CWS
Have you ever wondered why some days feel like everything is too much? The traffic, the endless emails, the little annoyances that pile up until you feel like you're barely holding it together? You might chalk it up to a bad day, but there's often a deeper reason behind that sense of overwhelm—your nervous system. I want to share a self-care tool I discovered during burnout recovery that changed my life.
The nervous system is the body's command center. It regulates everything from your heartbeat to your ability to handle stress. When it's functioning well, you can navigate life's ups and downs with resilience. But when your nervous system becomes unregulated, it can disrupt your daily routine, making everything feel more challenging than it needs to be.
Understanding the Nervous System
Your nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). These two systems work together to keep you balanced.
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Often referred to as the "fight or flight" system, the SNS kicks in when faced with stress or danger. It's responsible for the adrenaline you feel in a high-pressure situation, helping you respond quickly to threats.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): The PNS is the "rest and digest" system. It helps your body relax and recover after stress, promoting healing and regeneration.
When these two systems are in harmony, you can handle stress, recover from it, and move on. But when your nervous system becomes unregulated—often due to chronic stress, trauma, or prolonged pressure—the balance between the SNS and PNS can be disrupted. This imbalance can lead to various issues impacting your everyday life.
How an Unregulated Nervous System Affects Your Life
An unregulated nervous system can make even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming. Here's how it might show up in your daily life:
Increased Anxiety: If your SNS is overactive, you might find yourself constantly on edge, worrying about things that never used to bother you. This chronic state of alertness can lead to anxiety and make it hard to relax, even in situations where you're safe.
Constant Fatigue: On the flip side, if your PNS struggles to take over after stress, you might feel constantly tired, no matter how much you rest. This exhaustion can make it hard to find motivation, leading to a cycle of feeling drained and unable to recharge.
Difficulty Concentrating: When your nervous system is out of balance, it can be hard to focus on tasks, remember important details, or make decisions. Your mind might feel foggy, making it difficult to perform at your best.
Emotional Overwhelm: An unregulated nervous system can amplify emotions, making you more reactive to small triggers. You might snap at loved ones or feel overwhelmed by minor inconveniences.
Physical Symptoms: Chronic stress on the nervous system can also manifest physically. You might experience headaches, digestive issues, muscle tension, or other unexplained aches and pains.
The Importance of Nervous System Regulation
Regulating your nervous system is crucial for maintaining balance in your life. When your nervous system is healthy, you can handle stress more effectively, recover quickly, and enjoy greater well-being.
But how do you regulate your nervous system, especially if it's been out of balance for a while?
Tools for Regulating Your Nervous System
There are several ways to help bring your nervous system back into balance, many of which can be incorporated into your daily routine, such as mindfulness, meditation, exercise, and time in nature. But there is one more tool that I feel tops them all, and that is T.R.E®. TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) is a body-based practice designed to release deep-seated tension and stress from the nervous system. By allowing your body to tremor and shake, TRE helps reset the nervous system, bringing it back into balance.
How TRE Can Help
If you've been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or out of balance, it's essential to address the root cause - your nervous system. TRE offers a unique approach to regulating the nervous system by directly targeting the physical tension and stress often stored in the body.
At Madrona Integrative Health, we offer TRE sessions to help you reset your nervous system and relieve chronic stress and anxiety.
Take the First Step Toward Balance
Your nervous system plays a vital role in how you experience the world. Paying attention to its signals and taking steps to regulate it can improve your quality of life, reduce stress, and regain control.
If you're struggling with an unregulated nervous system and aren't sure where to start, we're here to help. Consider exploring TRE at Madrona Integrative Health to support your nervous system and bring balance back into your life.
Arjuna George
Certified T.R.E® Provider
Resilience and Self-Leadership Coach
Madrona
If you are interested in exploring how Arjuna’s TRE exercise and coaching appointments can be of support to your well-being, complimentary meet and greet or initial appointments can be made through our clinic booking page, https://madronahealth.janeapp.com/.