Why understanding the nervous system is so important to me?
- openlinescoaching
- Mar 24
- 2 min read
Understanding my brain was the first step I took after my diagnosis, and with no doubt was hugely important. But understanding how the nervous system works and how my nervous system works, was as important.
Knowing that I am more prone to be in fight or flight helped, but my autistic brain wanted to know “why??”. I used the Polyvagal theory to understand the nervous system hierarchy and what are the different states and how they are connected.
I understood the connection between my body response and how this will shape my thoughts and behaviour.
I understood that my experiences matter. I knew it before thanks to my studies around child development, but now this is reinforced.
I understood how to recognise what state I am in and I used the power of the pause under a completely different light. Now I know that pausing gives me also the power to choose what my body needs so I can regulate and create a better space for my brain to think.
I understood that - for example - my anxiety is a signal that my body is protecting me while trying to tell me something. This has led me to increase my self-compassion and self-kindness.
I understood that I need to address my body first before using my brain hacks. Addressing the mind only won’t work. Our body stores way more information and if it perceives threat it will let me move too fast or keep me stuck.
I understood that my window of tolerance won’t be always the same, especially if I don’t regulate often. The more dysregulated I am, the more my window of tolerance will be smaller, the more sensory overload I will get.
I learnt what my glimmers and triggers are.
I could carry on to be honest with my list. But I want to concentrate on my message instead:
You make sense. You are not broken.
If anything, quite the opposite: your nervous system works extremely well!
Be curious about how everything works because like Thomas Wolfe wrote
“We are the sum of all our parts”.
If you are curious about the Polyvagal Theory and how it can help, please head to my page
With Glimmers,
Fran
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