We humans have an Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and there are different survival responses that create different reactions in this ANS, that create different results in your life. You can also call these survival responses: coping or defense mechanisms because they’re what helped you survive if/when you were being ignored, traumatized, etc. So, no getting hard or judging yourself harshly here; all that you did was because you were strong and creative and wanted to survive.

The 4 main survival responses are: Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn. By knowing your survival responses and consciously observing them, you can take action to make them healthier and work better for you and your life.

 

First, a bit about the AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (ANS):

The ANS regulates certain body processes, such as the rate of breathing and blood pressure. The ANS works automatically (autonomously), without your conscious effort.

It’s the part of the nervous system that supplies the internal organs and has

2 Main Divisions:

-Sympathetic (SNS)

-Parasympathetic (PNS)

 

After the ANS receives information about your body and external environment, it responds by stimulating body processes, usually through the sympathetic division, or inhibiting them, usually through the parasympathetic division (Merck Manuals).

Generally, the SYMPATHETIC division prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations------fight or flight. Your heart rate increases, breathing becomes easier and muscular strength increases. It also slows body processes that are less important in emergency situations, such as digestion and urination. It’s often called ‘the fight or flight system’. You may have heard of this……

The PARASYMPATHETIC division conserves and restores. It slows the heart rate, decreases blood pressure and stimulates the digestive tract to process food and eliminate waste. It’s often called the ‘rest and digest’ system.

 

Okay, now for how this affects you in your everyday life. As mentioned earlier, we all have differing survival responses, according to our history, background, and life experiences and situations.

 

SURVIVAL RESPONSES:

As mentioned above, there are basically 4 ANS survival responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fawn.

In the fight or flight response, you react to a stimulus that scares you. Your heart rate, blood pressure and extremity muscle strength increase and you either stay and fight or get out of there (flight), depending on which choice will allow you to survive. People who often have this survival response can feel often anxious, rushing and even, hypervigilant (because of the fear that danger may be lurking around the corner). So, their nervous system often become dysregulated.

In the freeze response, you stay frozen, in place, in order to survive. People who have this freeze response may tend to feel depressed.

In the fawn response, you bend to other people’s wants and needs; you people-please. This can become your response with serious emotional abuse and, clearly, has negative ramifications for your adult life.

 

You may recognize one or more of these responses within you. Sometimes, there is one prevailing response and sometimes, a mix. We all respond differently to stress and these may become chronic responses to stress.

 

The good news: You can do something to change this negative feedback loop.

 

EXERCISE:

Pick 3 times today for your CONSCIOUS CHECK-IN. You may want to set your alarm. At each of these 3 times in your day, just STOP and observe yourself (OBJECTIVE OBSERVER) and your feelings and sensations (in body, mind and spirit) and see if you recognize any of these responses.  Name your response. For example: I would most likely name mine the ‘fight or flight’ response. My body is often anxious, running fast and tense. If I stop and observe, I can see and feel this and just observing it already starts changing the response. Then, I can do specific practices to calm my body and mind down. I may do some vagus nerve (10th cranial nerve) breaths (refer to blog post about Vagus nerve & Anxiety) or place my right hand under my left armpit and my left hand around my right arm and hug myself, realizing that there is a safe and secure boundary around me (so I feel safe, supported and protected).

If, for example, you tend to freeze and get depressed, you can observe this and get yourself moving…..literally. Get your body up and move in some way: jump, dance, swim, walk in nature. Just get moving!

 

After you name your particular survival response, give yourself a pat on the back which makes you smile, which gives off endorphins and may even stimulate your vagus nerve, which stimulates your PNS for rest, digest and calm. Then, take 3 deep breaths through your nose, which also stimulates your vagus nerve, calming your body. This resets your body (nervous system) and retrains your brain.

 

You’re observing and you’re learning how your survival response works. Now, you can take action and allow your ANS to function optimally, even helping how your genes are expressed (epigenetics).

 

MIND/BODY CONNECTION:

Now that you know how to stop, become aware of and take action with your survival mode, it’s time to place more conscious awareness on the mind-body connection. When it comes to these survival modes, it’s vital to understand this connection.

If, for example, you tend toward the ‘fight or flight’ response, you may find that your body often feels anxious (tension in your muscles, jaw; speeding heart, upset stomach, feeling rushed, etc.). This anxiety that started as acute (in response to a fear-filled situation) becomes chronic anxiety and over time, your body, which is intimately related to your mind (refer to previous blog posts @www.gigiarnaud.com) may develop chronic symptoms and even, chronic illness (ie: arthritis, which I happen to have).

There is no fault here. You are certainly not to blame! You are strong and were just trying to survive as a young child and, for your protection, developed these survival responses. Now, you’re an adult and are learning to become:

-Consciously aware

-Self-compassionate and

-Forgiving to that ‘inner child’ in you, who had to protect him/herself in order to survive.

 

The mind and body are interconnected in many ways; one is through the vagus nerve, the largest cranial nerve that goes from the brain, through the facial muscles (smile), through the throat and vocal cords, down through the lungs and into the gut. The gut is often called the ‘second brain’. There is a bilateral pathway from brain to body and body to brain. So, our physical, body symptoms are related to our survival responses. This awareness allows you to do something; to take action. First, become consciously aware of your response, find tools you can use to change these responses, in order to calm your body and mind and to feel safe, secure and able to live your healthiest and best life.

 

Now, it’s time to take ACTION:

This doesn’t have to be big action; just one small step at a time, is fine. As mentioned above, breathing techniques, holding yourself, and vagus nerve breathing are just some of the ways you can calm, comfort yourself and feel safe (for anxiety).

And movement is a way to get your body and mind going (for depression/anxiety).

 

Here are just a few, simple steps you can take:

-for Anxiety: you want to stimulate your vagus nerve, which is related to your PNS, to calm yourself. You can practice my vagus nerve breathing technique (refer to blog post about Vagus Nerve), you can take a cold shower or swim in cold water or even gargle with cold water (stimulating your throat). You can practice various deep breathing techniques and even vibrate your lips (say ‘brrr’) for other ways to stimulate your vagus nerve. You can create your own body boundaries (refer to exercise above).

-for Depression (and anxiety), which often go together, movement is a great first step. Just move, even first thing in the morning when you jump out of bed (learn more about my morning routine). This gets your body going, which then tells your mind that it’s good to get up and going.

By the way, saying affirmations can be helpful but it’s not enough if you don’t include energy and your body!

 

Know that your brain is malleable (neuroplasticity) and can change in response to your environment and your mind. Yahoo! So if you felt unsafe and your body responds with chronic illness, let’s say IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), it doesn’t mean that the brain necessarily caused this chronic illness. Over time and with repetition, as the brain relayed this message of danger over and over and over again, your pain becomes exacerbated and it becomes a cycle, which can be broken. You can break the cycle and change your state!

 

Interesting FACT:

In the animal world (except for us), when an animal has been through a traumatic event (ie: a tiger wants a deer for lunch), in order to release this trauma from the body (ie: freeze survival response; animal plays dead and survives), the animal will, literally, shake its body. It shakes the trauma out!

Unfortunately for us humans, we are the only animals who don’t do this. So, our past and our trauma stay stored in our body. That’s why we have to do something about it.

 

EXERCISE:

Take time out 3X/day (again, you can set your alarm) and again, observe your body and mind, be aware of your response, name it out loud and then move. You can even just shake your arms and/or legs and move your lips (brrrr vibration and movement) or move in whatever way most helps and aligns with you. Your mind will understand that your body is prioritizing movement (and making it a habit) and will respond in turn (in a helpful way).

 

When it comes to the mind, brain and neuroplasticity, the more you repeat something (ie: words, actions, movement), over and over again, the more and faster it will change. So, to develop a new habit or routine, you need to repeat the steps toward it continuously and constantly, for a minimum of 60-90 days, often more.

It is exciting and empowering to know that because of brain neuroplasticity, we can change the neural pathways in the brain and change our habits, routines and even, our survival responses.

It takes work; consistency, patience and courage. It is soooooooo worth it, though; for your emotional, mental, physical and even, spiritual health.

 

Like I always say, ‘Change your Mind to Change your Life’.

 

With smiles and love,

Dr Gigi

 

PS: Contact me @www.gigiarnaud.com or DM me on the Social media links below, for specific and customized plans to get YOU to become aware of and take the appropriate actions toward changing your mind and brain to change your life…………..in a healthy, empowering and enduring way! You can do this! It is worth it!

You are worth it!

 

Change your Mind to Change your Life!