Rewiring from Within: Understanding Your Nervous System

Taylor Berrick, MS, LCMHC | Wellness Within | July 25, 2025

Part of the work I love to do is teach people about their own bodies. People come to see me when they don’t know why they can’t seem to function, or why their mind is always racing and I get to teach them about their nervous system. Inside every single one of us is our very own operating system. It amazes me at how infrequently this is taught to people in the general public. If we learned from a young age how to work with our body to regulate our emotions and know which state of being we are in, I’m convinced we would be a much kinder, more communicative, evolved society.

This fully functional operating system is made up of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Although visually unattractive, (trust me I tried to find accurate and aesthetically pleasing pictures), this is the powerhouse of our bodies. When you know what’s happening inside, you can recognize your stress signals sooner, practice healthier ways to cope, and feel more grounded and in control no matter what life throws at you. The nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, plays a vital role in emotional regulation and stress response. Conditions like anxiety and depression, which disrupt nervous system function, can severely impact quality of life. Source (Wilmer & Anderson, 2021)

In order to know what’s going on inside you have to know the different states of the nervous system. For me the best way I have found to explain this to clients is through Polyvagal Theory. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory explains how our nervous system constantly scans for safety, danger, or life threat and responds automatically through three main pathways. These responses aren’t just mental; they’re deeply physical, influencing our heart rate, breath, digestion, voice, facial expression, and sense of connection.

At the core of Polyvagal Theory is the vagus nerve, which branches into the Ventral Vagal System (regulation, connection), the Sympathetic System (fight/flight), and the Dorsal Vagal System (freeze/shutdown). Depending on how safe or supported we feel, we may move through these states many times a day. In the Ventral Vagal state, life feels manageable and connection comes easily. Your voice is steady, your thoughts are clear, and you can actually finish a sentence without overthinking it. This is your ideal state, where health and wellbeing are optimal. The Sympathetic State is the one that kicks in when your body senses a challenge. You may feel anxious, amped up, and reactive. Though this state can be helpful when in danger or presented with a threat, when you experience this reaction to everyday life stressors you can become “stuck” in this state. The third and last state is Dorsal Vagal. This state is your nervous system pulling the plug to conserve energy (like a laptop turning itself off to prevent overheating) to protect itself when neither fight nor flight is possible. You may feel numb and unmotivated with this collapse, which is a survival mechanism often mistaken for laziness.

Below is a copy of what I give my clients when explaining the nervous system states:

One of the many reasons I work with Polyvagal Theory is it helps us learn that our stress responses are working to signal us on what our body needs. We just need to be able to read the signs. Rather than seeing stress responses as dysfunctional, Polyvagal Theory helps us understand them as protective and adaptive. With awareness and the right tools, we can shift toward states of regulation and connection. Being able to flow through the different states is what makes a resilient nervous system. Building a flexible nervous system is a strong nervous system. 

If we look at ourselves like an iPhone, our nervous system is our operating system. However, many people are much more likely to run their personal battery down to 1% before ever letting their iPhone get there. Just as your phone’s OS manages every app, notification, and background process to keep things running smoothly, your nervous system constantly processes sensory input, manages stress responses, and keeps your body balanced and functioning. Some of our functions are on an automatic task loop (like breathing) and we don’t even have to think about it. 

Believe it or not, I was actually a part time manager at Best Buy Mobile back in the 2010s, fourteen iPhone generations ago. Some people were still getting used to the idea of a smartphone and would come in confused as to why their “smart” phone was acting “dumb”. I was the least techie person on the team so my first suggestion was to always turn it on and off, or take out the battery (a forced shut down). 

Just like a phone we never shut off, upgrade, or clear of old messages and pictures, we too will be bogged down and run slower until we malfunction. Below are some questions you can use to determine what state you’re in, which can then inform you of what action to take to change and shift into the state you would like to be in:

• Are you feeling foggy, disconnected, and heavy?

• Are you isolating and feeling disinterested in everything?

• Are you having trouble speaking or thinking clearly?

• Are you feeling calm and steady?

• Are you feeling open to socializing and learning?

• Is your breathing steady?we 

• Are you alert but not anxious?

• Are you feeling anxious and ready to bolt?

• Is your breathing quickening and heart racing?

• Are you hyperfocusing or overthinking?

• Are you overly reactive? Okay, so you know what nervous system state you’re in, now what? 
  

1. MOVEMENT 

• Dance. Walk. Shake it out.

• I tell my clients I’m even down for headbanging, not on a wall but rock concert style. 

• One study found that even 20 minutes of walking reduces sympathetic arousal and improves mood (Sakuragi & Sugiyama, 2006).
  

2. BREATHING 

• Breathing is one of the quickest ways to change your state. 

• I usually start out teaching box breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4).

• Breathing slowly activates the vagus nerve, helping shift you to the calm ventral vagal state (Zaccaro et al., 2018).
  

3. CO-REGULATION 

• We regulate our nervous system by engaging in co-regulation with other regulated nervous systems. 

• Social interaction, even if via FaceTime or hugs or laughter, can work to regulate your nervous system.

• Humans are wired for connection. Literally, your nervous system needs it. 
  

4. GROUNDING 

• Focusing on your senses, temperature, and surroundings.

• Self-contact (butterfly hugs, tapping, tracing your arms and legs with your hands).

• These strategies shift awareness out of spirals and back into the here-and-now (Dana, 2021).
  

  

  I understand that in today’s fast paced world stepping out of your busy schedule and slowing down seems impossible. I work with clients to find even just a few small pockets of time to engage in intentional activities that actively work to regulate their nervous system. I’ve come to learn there is a great need for our society to learn to regulate their nervous systems. That’s why at Wellness Within, we’ve curated a nervous system regulation class. These semi-private sessions offer you the chance to step away from the daily rush and experience energy therapy (Reiki), sound therapy, audio bilateral stimulation and grounded co-regulation in a calming, cozy atmosphere intentionally created to help you feel safe and supported. Through co-regulation and community, I truly believe we can have a more cohesive and well-adjusted society.
  

References:

Dana, D. (2021). Anchored: How to befriend your nervous system using polyvagal theory. Sounds True, Inc.

Sakuragi, S., & Sugiyama, Y. (2006). Effects of daily walking on subjective symptoms, mood and autonomic nervous function. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 25(4), 281–289. https://doi.org/10.2114/jpa2.25.281

Wilmer, M. T., Anderson, K., & Reynolds, M. (2021). Correlates of quality of life in anxiety disorders: Review of recent literature. Annals of General Psychiatry, 20, Article 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-021-00363-0

Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353