‘Activating the Parasympathetic Wing of Your Nervous System’ is a worksheet that introduces us to various ways of initiating the body’s relaxation response. If you are wondering what the parasympathetic nervous system function is, it is the half of the nervous system associated with ease and tranquility, often described as the “rest and digest” system. Learning to activate it is thought to help ease the effects of chronic stress.
Parasympathetic Nervous System vs Sympathetic
On the other side of the parasympathetic nervous system is the sympathetic nervous system response. Working in opposition to the parasympathetic wing, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response helps us to fight, flee, or freeze when we encounter a threat. While this is a beneficial mechanism during times of imminent danger, it can run on overdrive in the modern world, leaving us feeling overstressed and depleted rather than full of vitality and energy.
Understanding the role of the parasympathetic nervous system vs sympathetic nervous system helps us to become more aware of what state we are functioning from in any given moment. When we start to notice what stress feels like in the body, we can begin to shift the mind and bring ourselves to a more rested state.
Activating the Parasympathetic Wing
There are various ways to activate parasympathetic nervous system function. Belly breathing, progressive relaxation techniques, meditation, and the conscious direction of our attention to the positive are often used to help us feel more rested. The mind and body influence each other, so we may have more say over our nervous system than we realize.
It is important to remember that both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system functions are important. The sympathetic nervous system is not to be feared. Rather, it is important that we are mindful of it, letting it help us in times of danger and easing it when the fear we experience is a product of our mind.
