One of the major contributors to chronic fatigue is nervous system dysregulation, due to the constant stressors we face on a daily basis. Due to juggling kids, careers, social media, and an almost endless stream of marketing that tells us we need to “do more, buy more, be more of this or less of that,” our nervous systems have become so overloaded that we can get stuck in one of the 4 survival responses:
- Fawn (people pleasing, avoiding conflict)
- Freeze (feeling shut down, or zoning out)
- Fight (feeling angry, easily triggered)
- Flight (wanting to flee or run away)
These responses are managed by our autonomic nervous system (ANS) and when we are healthy we can move in and out of the different states of activation shown below.
- sympathetic nervous system (SNS) – activates during times of stress and is responsible for avoiding danger using one of the 4F survival responses listed above
- parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) – takes over following a stressful event and is responsible for the “rest & digest” phase which leads to a regulated state
When we go through long periods of stressful events (i.e. having a newborn and functioning with no sleep, having a toddler who is throwing tantrums, having a teenager who is shutting you out) our vagus nerve, which is the longest nerve in the ANS and is responsible for maintaining our PNS, begins to function poorly which leads to more time spent in a dysregulated state.
Now that you know a little bit of the biology behind it, I want to share a technique that I’ve learned in my Nurturing Resilience course by Anna Marsh, called “Voos.” It may sound silly, and you might feel silly doing it, but it WORKS! Through the Voo breathing method, the vibrating sound on the outbreath settles your vagus nerve, optimizing your vitality, boosting your immune system and lowering stress (YAY!!)
This video will walk you through 3 Voo variations that have helped me when I feel activated or stressed. Happy “voo”ing!!
