What is your Nervous system?
Your nervous system allows you to do everything from breathing to eating. There are two main components to your nervous system which are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
Sympathetic vs parasympathetic nervous system
Stay with me for second here to learn why more gratitude in your life can have such a positive impact on your nervous system!
There are two key parts of the autonomic nervous system that relates to conditioning and stress which is the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
Sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic is the bodies fight or flight/ or freeze and play dead response it helps to:
- Increase heart rate
- Increase blood pressure
- Diverts blood flow to extremeties
- Inhibits digestion
- Reduces apatite
- mobilizes nutrients for fuel (increases blood sugar and fats)
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The parasympathetic nervous system is the bodies chillout response, it helps to:
- Decrease heart rate
- Decrease blood pressure
- Diverts blood flow to organs
- Promotes energy to storage
- Stimulates digestion
- Increases appetite
Tapping into your sympathetic nervous system can be very effective for athletic performance. But it is designed for acute responses not chronic. So if it is always turned on it will be very taxing to your system.
Our bodies are designed to be more parasympathetic dominant. Often our lifestyles create a scenario where we are more sympathetic dominant due to daily stressors. A key tool to becoming more parasympathetic in your life is gratitude!
How can gratitude improve your nervous system?
Gratitude can turn a distressor into a eustress which doesn’t cause chronic anxiety. Be grateful for your career, relationships and the place you call home instead of creating excess stress over your job tasks and chores.
Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic car analogy
Let’s think of your central nervous system as a car regulator. If you are driving for too long and the engine gets too hot the car regulator will shut it down. The more you rev your engine the more fuel you will burn. As a result, you will wear out your engine sooner. Revving up your car represents the Sympathetic nervous system. On the other hand, when you go for regular fuel or oil changes that symbolizes the parasympathetic nervous system.
How to balance out your day to become more parasympathetic?
Try out these activities to help with recovery:
- Sleep
- Meditiation
- Spa treatments
- Relaxing Hobbies
- Music
