About the Nervous System Tool

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Our autonomic nervous system is a pathway that runs between our brain's limbic system which is the center of emotions and memories, to different parts of our bodies including our organs.

 

Information can flow in both directions in this system - from brain to body, and from body to brain. These communications happen far below our awareness and far away from our conscious control. They happen automatically and are influenced by our past experiences especially those in childhood where patterns are instilled.

 

Our ANS is constantly scanning for cues of safety and danger without us even being aware of it. These cues are transmitted to the brain where meaning is made of them. What starts as a sensation in our body can quickly lead to a distorted story in our brain.

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Becoming aware of the state of your nervous system is important because it provides a lens on how you interpret the world. As an example, consider a time when you quickly became angry. Where you felt like you were automatically reacting before you had time to think. This is your ANS at work, in this case in a "fight" state.

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Keeping a journal of the state of your nervous system can give you insight into why you are behaving and thinking in different ways, and how you might go about changing your thinking and behavior by moving your ANS toward a more desirable state.

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Here are the main states of our autonomic nervous system (ANS) supported in Moodfit. More than one can be active at a given time.

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- Safe & Social: Feel energized and alive. Grounded, calm, clear, and can see the possibilities.  Able to respond thoughtfully versus reacting. Access to creativity and imagination.

 

- Fight or Flight: Activating energy that manifests as feeling anxious, irritable, inability to relax, on edge, increased heart rate. Frequent conflict or avoidance (flight).

 

- Fawn: Feels safer to be submissive and obedient than fight or flight. Subjugates one's own needs to those of others. "People pleasing."

 

- Freeze: Combination of activating energy and immobilizing energy. Inability to relax and at the same time feeling paralyzed. Feel stuck and hard to make decisions.

 

- Shutdown: Immobilizing energy. Disconnection or disassociation from yourself, others, your surroundings. Difficulty thinking clearly, communicating, showing/expressing emotions, or noticing your physical needs. Lack of motivation or interest. Desire to collapse. Feeling hopeless and depressed.

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The states supported in Moodfit are based on Polyvagal Theory that posits three different pathways of our ANS - the dorsal vagus (provides immobilization energy), the sympathetic nervous system (provides mobilization energy), and the ventral vagus (provides for social engagement and connection). Depending which pathways are dominant determines which state(s) we are in at a given time.

 

To learn more about the ANS and Polyvagal Theory, please see the Polyvagal Institute.