Over the last year and a half I have made a lot of changes. These habits are great and really help keep me mellowed out as I continue to regulate my nervous system and retrain my brain.
1️⃣ Journaling- whether it’s gratitude, working through things that bother me, praying, or journaling my future visualizations, I journal Every. Single. Day. This is huge in helping to rewire the brain to accept circumstances other than where you are currently sitting.
2️⃣ Focus on healthy breathing and posture- when we are stressed and living in fight/flight/freeze, our breathing is impaired. If you pay attention to your breathing, you’ll likely notice that you’re doing things like shallow chest breathing, holding your breath, breathing too quickly… on top of that, we get a rounded, hunched posture which makes it harder to breathe correctly. I love breathwork videos and Block Therapy for fixing posture and breath.
3️⃣ Spend time outdoors - nature is so grounding for our nervous system, and there’s so many beneficial aspects of it. The sunlight is wonderful for regulating our circadian rhythm, walking barefoot helps with grounding and inflammation, and the fresh air is so good for us. Being in nature just feels so calming, which is a great help for chilling the nervous system.
4️⃣ Driving and singing- singing out loud really helps with vagal nerve toning. It also sends messages of safety to your brain to let you know that you’re not in danger. I absolutely love singing while driving with windows down, hair blowing, and getting lost in a song.
5️⃣ Snuggling with animals (or people) helps increase oxytocin which makes our moods elevate. I believe that community is such an important part of our healing journey, and that we should feel touch often in order to get those feelings in.
Follow @stef_ganong if you want to continue to get nervous system balancing tips for healing chronic illness, and book a 1:1 session for help with a breakthrough!
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