When the warning lights (or signs of dysregulation) of the nervous system turn on
- Nivea Loiselle
- Jan 20
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 22
Today, we explore what the Nervous System (NS) is and how learning to regulate it can significantly improve your quality of life. We will also highlight the importance of recognizing the signs of nervous system dysregulation and share effective techniques to help restore balance.
Enjoy your reading!
What does the Nervous System look like?
Imagine your nervous system as a tree. The Central Nervous System (CNS) is the trunk of the tree, containing the brain and the spinal cord. The branches represent the nerves of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), which extend outward from the CNS.
These branches originate from the trunk (the brain and spinal cord) and transmit information to every part of the body.
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) is composed of:
12 pairs of cranial nerves that directly connect the brain and brainstem to various parts of the head, neck, and trunk. Some cranial nerves are directly involved in the senses (vision, taste, smell, and hearing), while others control facial muscles or regulate glands.
31 pairs of spinal nerves that connect the spinal cord to the rest of the body, including:
8 pairs of cervical nerves (C1–C8);
12 pairs of dorsal or thoracic nerves (T1–T12);
5 pairs of lumbar nerves (L1–L5);
5 pairs of sacral nerves (S1–S5);
1 pair of coccygeal nerves
More than 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons, which transmit signals—or messages—throughout the body. These electrical signals travel between the brain, skin, organs, glands, and muscles. They are essential for movement and for experiencing sensations such as pain.
The eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and the entire nervous system continuously receive information from the environment. Nerves then transmit this data to the brain, which in turn sends instructions to the appropriate organs and/or parts of the body.
What is the Nervous System responsible for?
The primary function of the Nervous System (NS) is to keep you alive! The NS is a complex network that controls every aspect of your bodily functions, your emotional responses, and your interactions with the environment.
In simple terms, it is your operating system or command center—which is why it is essential to update it when the warning lights start to turn on!
As illustrated in this diagram, your NS ensures communication with every part of your body. The Somatic Nervous System (SNS) is responsible for voluntary actions, while the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) regulates involuntary functions that are just as vital to your survival.
The NS functions like an autopilot for the human body. It helps you move, think, and feel. It regulates both your conscious actions and all involuntary functions. Without any conscious effort, your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion are all regulated by your NS.
The main role of your NS is to transmit data received from different parts of your body to your brain, and then from your brain to specific parts of your body, instructing them on how to respond.
These messages govern:
your thoughts, memory, learning, and emotional experiences;
your movements, including balance and coordination;
each of your senses (how your brain interprets what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell);
your ability to heal wounds;
your sleep (circadian rhythm);
your heart and respiratory rates;
your responses to stressful situations;
your digestion and metabolism;
all bodily processes, such as puberty and aging.
The NS continuously monitors what is happening both inside and outside the body to detect potential danger and determines how to react and/or respond to each situation you encounter. Psychologist Dr. Stephen Porges introduced the term “neuroception” to describe the way the nervous system detects signals of danger and safety in the environment—without the involvement of the brain’s conscious centers.
When the warning lights (or signs of dysregulation)
of the nervous system turn on
Each of us is wired for survival, not for happiness or fulfillment—both of which require additional programming or learning..
All of your systems are interconnected and work in synergy to keep you alive. Understanding this survival-based organization, and the way your nervous system (NS) works daily to protect you, can help you better understand symptoms, thought and behavioral patterns, certain habits, and emotions that you no longer want but find difficult to let go of.
Hypervigilance or a persistent defensive posture are visible consequences of a dysregulated nervous system (long-term functioning in a stress physiology). Tension stored in the body negatively impacts both mobility and the proper functioning of bodily systems. Common physical signs include tight and contracted muscles in the neck, jaw, and trapezius. Sometimes this also shows up as a rounded back or a forward head posture.
On an emotional level, this may manifest as heightened emotional sensitivity, mood instability, or depressive states. Allergies and the onset of certain autoimmune conditions may also appear.
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Signs of nervous system dysregulation
| A well-regulated nervous system (NS) adapts and responds more appropriately to the ever-changing demands of its environment.A healthy NS relies on an individual’s ability to turn on and off the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches as needed—without disruption or prolonged activation. |
EXAMPLE 1
For instance, imagine someone running late for work. They activate the sympathetic branch of their nervous system to get a quick “boost” of energy—allowing them to get ready faster, leave the house, and walk briskly to catch the bus. This short burst of stress, or acute stress (increased heart rate, shallow breathing, strength in the legs, mild sweating to cool the body), mobilizes the energy needed to avoid missing the bus.
Once seated on the bus, the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system is activated. Energy is then redirected toward other functions, resulting in a slower heart rate, possible yawning, and cooler extremities.
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EXAMPLE 2
Another example: to build resilience, athletes may push themselves during training (the equivalent of acute stress) to activate the sympathetic nervous system, making more energy available than usual. The key lies in their ability to self-regulate their nervous system so that stress does not become chronic.
Once training is over, recovery time becomes essential. During this phase, the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged to rebuild muscles and recharge energy reserves—which are continuously depleted when the sympathetic nervous system remains activated.
Nervous system dysregulation occurs when stress becomes chronic and recovery is incomplete, or in the case of trauma, when stress is too intense and happens too quickly.
Causes of nervous system dysregulation
Life accidents, long-term repetitive movements, and a sedentary lifestyle all have one thing in common: they require the body to adapt its organization in order to continue functioning despite constraints.
In the short term, shifting all your weight onto your left leg while your right ankle recovers from a sprain is a perfectly appropriate adaptation. However, when this new pattern persists over time and becomes habitual, imbalance sets in. Certain muscle groups or joints are overworked more than others—until those areas begin to “go on strike.”
This can lead to observable patterns of muscular tension, inflammation, or vertebrae falling out of alignment, generally resulting in pain, stiffness, and/or reduced mobility.
Chemical stress results from toxins or internal imbalances caused by poor nutrition (food allergies, pro-inflammatory foods, nutrient deficiencies), environmental pollutants, medications, or hormonal changes.
These stressors can lead to fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, or a weakened immune system.
Unresolved emotional shocks and suppressed emotions—such as grief, anger, shame, guilt, loneliness, fear, or anxiety—are stored in the body. Over time, these emotional tensions may manifest as tension along the spine.
This tension reduces mobility in the affected vertebrae, which in turn disrupts optimal communication within the nervous system’s signaling pathways.
RESTORING BALANCE TO YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
IN 5 STEPS
There is no magic pill, gadget, or modality that can instantly download an update for your nervous system (NS).
However, you do have the power to voluntary activate your parasympathetic NS!
Doing so has the immediate effect of deactivating the sympathetic nervous system. In other words, you can hack your nervous system, allowing your body to shift from a survival-based physiology into a state of recovery and well-being.
I guide you through this process, and with the Spinal Flow Technique, we hack your nervous system together. You regain control over your quality of life and access the internal resources needed to achieve each of your life goals.
Each step builds upon the previous one, laying the foundation for a transformation that is both sustainable and long-lasting. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
1. Understand your operating system (aka your nervous system)
and learn its language
To restore balance to your Nervous System (NS), it is essential to understand how this system functions and to speak its language. The reading you have just completed has helped you better understand how the nervous system works and how to more easily decode the language it uses to communicate.
Now equipped with this understanding, your task is to observe these shifts in state and learn to recognize them naturally.
Awareness Through Movement® lessons from the Feldenkrais Method allow you to develop mindfulness and actively listen to your nervous system. Not only are you able to monitor potential “bugs” or dysfunctions within your NS, but you also gain access to your full, previously unexplored potential.
… for a more detailed explanation of this step
ONCE YOU SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM, THREE KEY INGREDIENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS NEW PROGRAMMING:
2. Create connections to foster co-regulation
The primary function of the Nervous System (NS) is to keep you alive. Added to this is the fact that humans are social beings. From birth, humans grow and evolve throughout their lives within a social ecosystem with which they continuously interact.
This ecosystem is, in fact, a complex network of exchanges in which individuals connect with one another, influencing others while also being influenced in return.
Co-regulation refers to the process by which two or more individuals influence, attune to, and support each other’s emotional states and nervous systems. It is a vital aspect of human development and social interaction, deeply rooted in our biology.
Co-regulation helps stabilize emotions, reduce stress, and promote a sense of connection and safety.
… if you’re curious to learn more about co-regulation
3. Reduce stress factors
If you keep adding fuel to the fire, the fire will continue to burn even stronger!
A small dose of stress (acute stress), such as being cut off in traffic without an accident, is not harmful. Acute stress is considered adaptive and is necessary for our survival.
Chronic stress, however, is a maladaptation that leads to pathology. It makes us ill by continuously weakening our immune system.
The constant presence of stressors prevents recovery and a return to balance. These stressors may be physical, chemical, and/or emotional in nature. Chronic stress typically triggers a cascade of nervous and hormonal reactions designed to activate a survival mechanism—also known as a defensive posture.
... to learn more about stress factors
4. Develop your
Emotional Intelligence
It is rare for a person to be taught how to effectively manage their emotions. Yet, what the mind suppresses, the body eventually expresses. Repressed anger, shame, and guilt often manifest as chronic illnesses or mysterious physical symptoms.
"The feeling that cannot be expressed through tears may make other organs cry." — Marisa Peer
Learning what an emotion is and understanding the purpose of emotions is therefore essential. Since emotions are not stored rationally but in implicit memory (which does not require conscious thought), they are difficult to process and release through talk therapy alone. Somatic methods allow for the release of emotional charge at the body level.
… to learn more about emotions
5. Update / Reprogram
limiting beliefs
Your thoughts are more powerful than any supplement, exercise, and perhaps even your genes! What you believe shapes the quality of your life.
As you’ve seen, we all have a default operating system, shaped by our life experiences. Thanks to neuroplasticity, it is possible to reprogram this system. But first, you need to become aware of your current system and identify the limiting beliefs that are preventing you from living the quality of life you desire today.
Hypnosis is a powerful tool that allows you not only to identify limiting beliefs but also to reprogram them. Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which you remain aware of everything being said and everything happening around you. Research has shown, using EEG and functional MRI, that the brain activity during hypnosis does not correspond to a state of sleep. Hypnosis connects the conscious and subconscious mind, allowing you to access resources already present within yourself.
Hypnosis works by reorganizing neural circuits, so that automatic responses of the body to stimuli—such as pain or stress—can be modified. This is not magic, but a form of mental training that, with practice, becomes increasingly effective.
… to learn more about reprogramming limiting beliefs
Is this the end of the article or the beginning of a discovery…?
You’ve made it this far, but you will probably retain only about 15% of what you’ve read, and the likelihood that you’ll implement any of it is low. Why? Because neuroplasticity requires a trigger—ideally, a strong emotional trigger followed by motivation and repetition to solidify neural connections.
The most important takeaway
You have the ability to reprogram your operating system to create the quality of life you desire today. Access to this information is free, and you can revisit it as often as you like.
Is the Spinal Flow® Technique and/or the Feldenkrais® Method right for you?
I will answer all your questions and explain how I can help you.
To learn more about the Feldenkrais® Method, click here
To better understand how the Spinal Flow® Technique can help with autoimmune conditions, click here
Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical treatment. It is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition.
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