20 Ways to Heal a Dysregulated Nervous System Naturally

Wild Stinging Nettle Elixir 

Can you heal a dysregulated nervous system?

The short answer is, yes! It takes some effort and time, but you can definitely turn things around. 

1. Stop being in a hurry and slow down. I really can’t emphasize this one enough. We live in a fast-paced world and so many of us have gotten into a habit of doing everything fast. The problem with this is that your nervous system thinks you are in fight-or-flight when you are in a hurry.

2. Eat breakfast within one hour of waking. If you wait any longer than this, it can cause your blood sugar levels to decrease too much and your adrenals can start producing excess cortisol and this creates stress in the body which causes the nervous system to be out of balance. 

3.  Avoid intermittent fasting right now. While intermittent fasting can be very helpful for many health issues, I don’t recommend it when there is nervous system imbalance because it can create additional stress on the body.

4. Eat regular meals throughout the day and include some protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fat in each meal. I know this is a simple step, but skipping meals can put a strain on the adrenals and cause nervous system imbalance overtime.

5. Remove all processed foods from your diet. Processed foods are a stressor on the body, and the goal is to remove stressors as much as possible to help support the body.

6. Only do low-impact exercise like walking, Pilates, gentle yoga or stretching. High impact exercise puts strain on the adrenals, increases cortisol which can then lead to nervous system imbalance. 

7. Diffuse essential oils throughout the day to help you feel more relaxed. If you can’t diffuse the oils, put a drop or two on the bottoms of your feet or on the spine twice a day to help lower stress levels. 

8. Spend more time outdoors. Getting fresh air and being in nature helps reduce the stress response in the body and calms the nervous system.

9. Go walking outside daily. Walking outside is a fantastic way to reduce stress in the body, lower cortisol and encourage nervous system balance. 

10. Avoid a low-carb diet right now. While a lower carb diet can be a helpful way to reduce inflammation, eating this way for too long can put stress on the adrenals and cause nervous system imbalance. 

11. Take an Epsom salt bath a few times a week (or each evening, if you can). When you’re stressed, the first mineral your body burns through is magnesium (This is why so many people are magnesium deficient!). 

12. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Honestly, the best way to balance your nervous system is with sleep.

13. Consider supplementation to help support your nervous system.

14. Eat magnesium-rich foods. We burn through magnesium very quickly when the nervous system is out of balance, so eating mg-rich foods can be very helpful to keep the body more calm.

15. Eliminate all caffeine. Unfortunately, caffeine is like liquid stress for the body right now.

16. Take one day of rest each week. While it’s popular to “hustle”, that kind of daily mentality can lead to all sorts of health issues and will continue to create nervous system dysregulation. 

17.  Learn to recognize stressful thinking – It’s important to understand that the mind is separate from the brain. 

18. Turn off your phone or put it somewhere that is out of sight. “Your cortisol levels are elevated when your phone is in sight or nearby, or when you hear it or even think you hear it,” David Greenfield, professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of

19. Get a massage – Massage has been shown to have a positive effect on the nervous system and can help reduce stress hormones.

20.  Work with a counseling or therapist on past trauma – Past trauma can get stored in the body and continue to create nervous system imbalance. It takes time and work, but it can be so worth it! 

 

Borrowed From Carrie Korem