We Are Not Built To Be Stressed

Picture this…

You are watching a documentary about cavemen. You are shown a caveman hunting or gathering. Then, you see a saber tooth tiger enter the screen.

The caveman fights the tiger with his knife, hurting it enough for the caveman to be able to flee to safety. 

What you aren’t seeing in this clip, and what may not be discussed by the narrator, is what is happening within the caveman.

When the caveman saw the threat (the saber tooth tiger), his sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) became engaged. 

His body sent a lot of his blood flow into his arms and legs, so that he could fight the tiger, and then run for safety.

What we also didn’t see, is that once the caveman was safe, his body was able to go into his parasympathetic nervous system, which is rest and digest.

The caveman’s body was able to complete the stress cycle, and come back to a place of calm.

Our parasympathetic nervous system is where our bodies WANT US to be.

However, the demands of our society - as members of a capitalistic society, and having unrealistic expectations as working parents - put us in a constant state of stress.

When we are stressed, we are in our sympathetic nervous system.

Allowing ourselves to rest, spend time with good people, and/or focus on our breathing can be extremely healing, and give our bodies a break from our sympathetic nervous system.

Building in self-care practices throughout our day, even for a few minutes at a time, can make a HUGE difference in our nervous system!