Why Nervous System Regulation Could Be Your SuperPower
What if the key to clearer thinking, deeper connection, and greater resilience wasn’t more willpower, but a calmer and more regulated nervous system?
In a world that constantly demands more of us: more output, more responsiveness, more emotional bandwidth, it’s easy to feel stretched thin. But behind every moment of overwhelm or over-reaction is something deeper at play: the state of our nervous system.
Why Nervous System Regulation Matters
Understanding and practicing nervous system regulation has profound benefits that extend into every aspect of your life. When your nervous system is balanced, you’re more equipped to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and clarity.
In your daily life, nervous system regulation can transform your everyday experience by improving sleep quality, reducing anxiety, and enhancing your capacity to enjoy the present moment. At work, a regulated nervous system provides a significant competitive advantage. You’ll make clearer decisions under pressure, collaborate more effectively with colleagues, and maintain focus during challenging tasks.
By understanding your nervous system’s patterns and learning to work with them rather than against them, you’re investing in a foundation for greater wellbeing, effectiveness, and joy in all areas of your life.
Understanding Your Nervous System
Your nervous system is like your body’s command centre. It’s constantly working behind the scenes, processing information from your environment and determining whether you’re safe or in danger. When functioning optimally, your nervous system helps you respond appropriately to life’s demands – staying calm when it’s time to rest, becoming alert when focus is needed, and mobilising resources when faced with challenges.
However, many of us experience chronic stress that keeps our nervous systems in heightened states of alertness. This can lead to anxiety, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, physical tension, and even health issues over time. The good news is that we can learn to influence our nervous system states through simple, practical techniques.
Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps us understand how our nervous system operates. Here are a few key concepts and terms that we will use throughout this toolkit.
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Systems
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are two branches of the autonomic nervous system that work together to help the body respond to and recover from stress.
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “fight or flight” response – it prepares the body to take action by increasing heart rate, quickening breath, and releasing stress hormones.
In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system promotes “rest and digest” functions. It slows the heart rate, deepens the breath, and supports digestion and recovery. While the sympathetic system mobilises us for survival, the parasympathetic system helps us return to calm and balance, and both are essential for navigating life’s challenges and maintaining overall wellbeing.
The Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is central to Polyvagal Theory – it is the main communication pathway between the brain and body, and plays a key role in regulating our emotional and physiological state. It is the primary nerve of the parasympathetic system, and how well our vagus nerve functions (often called vagal tone) affects how easily we can shift from stress to calm. A well-toned vagus nerve helps us recover quickly from stress and build resilience, while a poorly regulated one can keep us stuck in survival states.
The Nervous System States
You can think of your nervous system as having three main gears or states. In states 1 and 2 you are in the parasympathetic nervous system, in state 3 you are in the sympathetic. You can be between states as well as fully in one (hence the overlapping circles in the diagram).
Our nervous system is shaped by our experiences, particularly early ones. For example, If we grew up in environments that felt unsafe, chaotic, or unpredictable, our system may have learned to stay in hyper-alert (sympathetic) or shutdown (dorsal vagal) states as a way to cope. Over time, this can become our default, even when the original threat is no longer present. Without awareness and regulation tools, we can get stuck in these patterns, replaying old survival responses in new, unrelated situations.
1. Relaxed (Parasympathetic - Ventral Vagal State)
This is your “rest and digest” or “social engagement” state. When you feel safe and connected, your body can relax, heal, and engage positively with others. In this state:
- Your heart rate is steady
- Your breathing is deep and easy
- Your digestion works well
- You feel calm, present, and connected
- You can think and communicate clearly and creatively
2. Immobilised (Parasympathetic - Dorsal Vagal State)
This is your “freeze” or “shut down” state. When your body perceives overwhelming threat or exhaustion, it may shift into this conservation mode. In this state:
- Your energy decreases
- You may feel numb, foggy, or disconnected
- Your body feels heavy or fatigued
- You may withdraw from social connection
- If you are feeling safe this may be a pleasant blissful state
- If you are feeling unsafe you are likely to feel hopeless or have difficulty concentrating
3. Mobilised (Sympathetic State)
This is your “fight or flight” state. When your body perceives a challenge or threat, it prepares you for action. This state is useful in short bursts to respond to danger or when needing increased energy, but chronic activation can lead to anxiety, burnout, and difficulty resting. In this state:
- Your heart beats faster
- Your breathing quickens
- Your muscles tense
- You may experience racing thoughts
- If you are feeling safe you are likely to feel energetic and motivated
- If you are feeling unsafe you are more likely to be be stressed or anxious
Nervous System Regulation - Strategy and Tactics
Tactical Regulation (In-the-Moment) are practices you can use right away when you notice disregulation. For example, using box breathing to calm anxiety before a job interview.
Strategic Regulation (Long-Term) activities strengthen your vagal tone and therefore improve your regulatory capacity over time. For example, a daily meditation practice that gradually improves your ability to stay present with difficult emotions
Like strengthening a muscle, regular engagement with these techniques actually changes your nervous system’s baseline functioning. Strategic practices help expand your “window of tolerance” – the range of experiences you can handle without becoming disregulated.
The body has incredible built-in mechanisms for regulation, but many of us never learned how to use them. That’s why we created the Liberare Consulting Nervous System Regulation Toolkit – a practical, evidence-informed guide full of techniques to help you shift your state, build resilience, and feel more grounded, no matter what life throws at you.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Breathing techniques to calm or energise your system
- Mindfulness and movement practices to build long-term resilience
- Tools for sound, body awareness, and co-regulation through connection
