Wired & Misfired: Your Nervous System Means Well (But It's a Bit Dramatic)
Ever feel like your brain has 42 tabs open and one of them is playing circus music you didn’t even subscribe to?
That’s not just stress.
That’s your nervous system doing what it does best: keeping you alive.
Even when the only danger in the room is a passive-aggressive email or the kids asking, “What’s for dinner?” again.
🧠 What Is the Nervous System? (In Plain English)
Your nervous system is your body’s personal security system.
It processes everything you see, feel, touch, think and remember.
It’s made up of two main branches:
- Sympathetic Nervous System: the “fight, flight, or freeze” mode
- Parasympathetic Nervous System: the “rest, digest and restore” mode
Think of it like a light switch constantly flipping between alert and relax.
The problem is… many of us got stuck on “alert” a long time ago.
😰 How Trauma Wires the System
If you grew up in a space where emotions were unpredictable, love was conditional, or chaos was the norm, your nervous system got smart.
Hyper-alert.
Maybe even heroic.
It learned to:
- People-please to avoid conflict
- Stay invisible to stay safe
- Overthink as a survival strategy
But what once protected you… may now be exhausting you.
“Trauma isn’t what happens to you. It’s what happens inside you when you don’t feel safe.” – Dr. Gabor Maté
You’re Not Broken, You’re Wired
Anxiety. Burnout. Emotional reactivity.
They’re not personality flaws.
They’re neurobiological patterns of protection.
Your nervous system doesn’t need judgment.
It needs safety.
And the amazing news?
What was wired in fear can be rewired in safety.
5 Easy Nervous System Rewires You Can Try Today:
🌀 Breathe like a sleepy dragon
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) calms your system fast. Try it while your tea steeps or while hiding in the pantry.
Here's How to Do It:
- Inhale through your nose for 4 counts
- Hold your breath for 4 counts
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 counts
- Hold again for 4 counts
Repeat this 4–5 times. Imagine drawing a square in your mind as you breathe.
🧠 What’s happening: This technique activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the part responsible for slowing things down and creating a sense of safety.
“Breathing is the remote control to your nervous system.” – Dr. Andrew Huberman
🌀 Move your body
Shake, stretch, dance, walk. Your body is built to move energy, not store it.
Movement tells your body, “We’re not frozen anymore.”
It signals to your brain that the danger has passed.
You don’t need a gym.
Stretch in your chair. Do a kitchen dance. Shake like you’re drying off invisible rain.
This clears stress hormones and restores flow.
Fun fact: Animals shake instinctively after stress to regulate. So can you.
🌀 Touch something real
Bare feet on the ground. Water on your hands. A long hug. Presence regulates panic.
Your brain might be panicking in 203 possible futures, but your body can only exist in the now.
Touch helps you come back.
Try this:
- Place hands under warm water
- Press your feet into the ground
- Pet your dog
- Wrap yourself in a cozy texture
This tactile input anchors your body, like putting a GPS pin in “I’m here.”
🌀 Do nothing on purpose
Pause. Stare at the sky. Sit in silence. Rest is not laziness, it’s leadership.
🌀 Connect with someone safe
The nervous system co-regulates. A kind voice can do what hours of logic cannot.
Humans are wired for co-regulation; we calm best in the presence of someone who feels safe.
A short voice note from a friend. A hug. A good laugh.
Even eye contact with someone who sees you.
“Your nervous system wants safety, not solitude.” – Deb Dana
“The nervous system isn’t designed to make you happy. It’s designed to keep you alive.” – Dr. Stephen Porges
Final Thought
You’re not too sensitive. You’re not dramatic.
You’re human. And brilliant.
And if your nervous system’s been in survival mode too long, maybe now is the moment you get to rewrite the story.
Let This Land:
Dear Nervous System,
We survived what shaped us.
It is now safe to exhale, my friend ...
Thank you for protecting me, even when it wasn’t easy.
I’ve got us now.
