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How To Activate Your Parasympathetic Nervous System To Ease Stress, STAT

Author:

Linnea Passaler, DMD

December 17, 2023

Anxiety Researcher

By Linnea Passaler, DMD

Image by ohlamour studio / Stocksy

December 17, 2023

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Controlling your mood and stress levels doesn't need to be as complicated as cracking the Da Vinci Code. Inside of you, there's a natural mechanism that can help dial down anxiety levels. And if you don't tap into it, you're missing out on a powerful ally in your fight against anxiety.

What people get wrong about managing anxiety

Even with my extensive experience in healthcare, including over 25 years as an oral surgeon, health educator, and researcher, I've had my own struggles with anxiety and burnout. These personal challenges motivated me to explore ways to manage stress and heal my dysregulated nervous system, and share my findings with others.

You may have noticed that there's been a lot of buzz lately around ways to "hack" your body for instant stress relief. However, my scientific findings have shown me that the secret to managing stress and easing symptoms isn't trying out new, fancy techniques. Instead, it's about consistently doing small, simple actions.

What really makes a difference is having a few reliable tools in your toolbox and using them regularly.

Your body's built-in anti-anxiety system

Your body has a built-in system to regulate anxiety and stress. This natural mechanism is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system, a part of the autonomic nervous system that works to calm the body down after the threat of danger has passed.

When faced with stress or anxiety, the body goes into a state of high alert that results in increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and heightened senses, among other reactions.

Activating the parasympathetic nervous system allows you to bring the body back to its normal state after the "fight-or-flight" response has been triggered. This involves slowing the heart rate, reducing blood pressure, slowing the breathing rate, and relaxing muscles. It instantly reduces feelings of anxiety and promotes a state of calm and relaxation.

It's important to note that this response doesn't always happen automatically when you're chronically stressed or anxious. If your nervous system is disregulated, it will struggle to activate the parasympathetic response, so it’s helpful to take steps to deliberately activate it. Over time, your body will learn to relax more easily and automatically as needed.

Real-time techniques for reducing anxiety

These two strategies can help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system and get back to a calmer state. Once you get in the habit of doing them when you feel overwhelmed or anxious, the easier it will become to get back to your baseline.

Physiological sigh

The physiological sigh, also called cyclic sighing, is a controlled breathing method that has been proven by research from the Stanford Center on Stress to be even more effective than meditation in regulating anxiety in real time. Here's how it's done:

Start with an inhale: Breathe deeply through your nose, filling your lungs.
Take a second inhale: Take a shorter breath to further expand your lungs.
Slowly exhale: Release the air through your mouth, making this longer than the two inhales.
Repeat: Do this for five breaths or up to five minutes for a more significant effect.
Just five breaths can make a difference, but practicing for five minutes can bring a more profound change in your nervous system state.

Moving your body

Moving your body is a key strategy for activating your parasympathetic system, which is essential for stress management. Various forms of physical activity, including gentle and more vigorous exercises, can be beneficial.

Stretching: Engaging in stretching exercises is a great way to release built-up tension in your body. This not only helps in easing physical stiffness but also assists in transitioning your body into a more relaxed, parasympathetic state.
Yoga: Practicing yoga is another effective way to engage your parasympathetic nervous system. It calms your body's fight-or-flight response, leading to a noticeable reduction in tension. This benefit might stem from becoming more aware of and responding quicker to tension in your body.
Brisk Walking: Taking a brisk walk, especially in a peaceful environment like a park or by the water, can also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. The rhythmic nature of walking helps to calm the mind, reduce stress hormones, and improve mood.
Vigorous Exercise: While gentle exercises are beneficial, incorporating some vigorous activities like running, cycling, or high-intensity interval training is a powerful way to activate your natural anti-anxiety system. After you finish these exercises, your body naturally calms down, which helps retrain your stress response.

I recommend really focusing your attention on these two practices before moving on to any other "hacks" for achieving calm.

Here's why: One of our most popular resources on my blog lists 45 different ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. A reader messaged me, saying they had tried all 45 techniques, yet their stress levels were still through the roof.

This got me thinking: are we actually contributing to people’s stress levels by giving them too many options?

I reached out to this reader and suggested they try just one or two techniques but do them consistently. Months later, they wrote back, saying this simple shift had made a world of difference.

The takeaway

When it comes to managing stress and anxiety, it's helpful to have immediate strategies for quick relief. However, it's equally important to recognize that these practices, while helpful in the moment, are only part of the solution. To truly reverse the effects of a dysregulated nervous system, you need a long-term strategy. If you don’t address the root causes of nervous system dysregulation, you might find temporary relief, but your symptoms will resurface.

In my new book, Heal Your Nervous System, I delve into the strategy that has successfully helped thousands of people in our community. It focuses on consistently doing small, manageable tasks and following a plan that effectively addresses the causes of nervous system dysregulation.

Remember, controlling your stress levels and activating your parasympathetic system doesn't require complicated practices. Sticking to a well-thought-out strategy will be far more effective than constantly trying out the latest trends.