Do you feel anxious, stressed, fearful, but for no apparent reason? Perhaps you have certain bad habits that dysregulate your nervous system - the network of nerves and neurons through which messages travel from our brain to different parts of the body. If it is disrupted, this system activates “survival” mode in us: our entire body prepares to react to a danger that does not exist. This is what Nawal Mustafa, an American neuropsychologist with 1.6 million subscribers, explains in an Instagram post from April 17.
Lack of exposure, social networks, sedentary lifestyle...
“Certain activities disrupt our nervous system because they disrupt the balance of physiological and psychological processes that contribute to its regulation,” warns the neuropsychologist. For example, lack of exposure to sunlight, poor breathing or chaotic auditory stimuli can trigger stress reactions in the body. “This activates the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to an increased heart rate, increased perception and the release of stress hormones such as cortisol,” she says.
Nawal Mustafa lists these bad habits:
Stay indoors all day without exposure to natural light
Listening to loud, chaotic music or sounds
Spending time with people who bring us stress or negativity
Scrolling through our social media feeds without pausing
Ignoring or suppressing your emotions
Stay sedentary and avoid any form of physical activity
Conversely, other behaviors help regulate our nervous system, promoting a state of balance and relaxation, she assures. Among them: taking a walk outdoors in natural light, listening to soothing music, spending time with friends, disconnecting from social networks for several hours, crying heartily to release strong emotions, and finally doing sports. . Such activities “activate the parasympathetic nervous system which induces a feeling of calm, reduces physiological arousal and promotes the release of neurotransmitters associated with relaxation,” she concludes as encouragement.