Polyvagal Theory 7: What Polyvagal Theory Can Teach Us About Health Challenges

Polyvagal theory offers a powerful lens through which to understand how your nervous system operates, particularly in response to stress, trauma, or chronic health challenges. It’s not just a theoretical concept—it’s a practical framework that can help you understand why you might feel stuck, overwhelmed, or constantly on the go.

Here we continue to explore how your nervous system works, how it shapes your experiences, and how you can start to move towards greater balance and resilience.

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What Is Polyvagal Theory?

Polyvagal theory explains how your autonomic nervous system regulates your body and emotions. It highlights three primary states that your nervous system moves between, depending on the situation:

1. Ventral Vagal (Safety and Connection): A state of calm, engagement, and openness.
2. Sympathetic (Mobilisation): A state of fight or flight, preparing your body to respond to perceived threats.
3. Dorsal Vagal (Shutdown): A protective state of conservation, often experienced as fatigue or disconnection.

When stress or trauma pushes your nervous system into survival mode—sympathetic overdrive or dorsal shutdown—it can become stuck, making it difficult to return to a calm, regulated state.

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How Chronic Stress Affects Your Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system touches every part of your body. When it’s out of balance, it can disrupt your physical and emotional well-being. Chronic stress and trauma condition your nervous system to remain in survival states, affecting your health in various ways:

• Sympathetic Overdrive: You may feel anxious, activated, or constantly on edge. Your heart races, your body feels tense, and you may find it hard to relax.
• Dorsal Shutdown: On the other hand, you may experience prolonged fatigue, heaviness, or a sense of disconnection. Everything feels too much, and it’s hard to engage with the world.

Both states are protective responses, but staying stuck in them over time can lead to chronic health challenges like burnout, anxiety, and physical exhaustion.

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Recognising Your Nervous System Patterns

Understanding your nervous system is the first step toward shifting these patterns. Think about how your body responds to stress:

• Do you lean towards sympathetic overdrive, always on the go, trying to manage everything?
• Or do you notice signs of dorsal shutdown, feeling disconnected or weighed down?

Reflecting on your own experiences can help you see how these survival states might be affecting your health.

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From Survival to Resilience: Shifting Back to Ventral Vagal

The good news is that your nervous system isn’t fixed—it’s flexible and can adapt with practice. Moving back to a ventral vagal state (a calm, connected place) is key to building resilience and improving your well-being. The strategies below, divided into four domains, can help you make small but meaningful shifts.

1. Self (Practices for Internal Regulation)

• Mindfulness: Pause for a moment, notice your breath, and tune into your body. This can help ground you when you’re feeling activated.
• Gentle Movement: Yoga, stretching, or even a slow walk can help release built-up tension.
• Restorative Rituals: Create moments of rest—whether it’s reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath.

2. Other (Relational Connection)

• Co-regulation: Spend time with people who help you feel safe and supported. This could be a loved one, a friend, or a pet.
• Relational Practices: Share a meal, take a walk with someone, or connect through a simple hug.
• Reaching Out: Even a quick chat or sending a message can remind you that you’re not alone.

3. Nature (Grounding in the Wider World)

• Time Outside: Sit in the garden, walk in the woods, or simply look at the sky. Nature’s rhythms can help calm your nervous system.
• Sensory Awareness: Notice the sounds of birds, the texture of leaves, or the feeling of the sun on your skin.
• Earth Connection: Feeling your feet on the ground—literally.

4. Passion, Purpose, and Spirituality

• Creative Outlets: Paint, write, craft, or do any activity that sparks delight and creativity.
• Reflection: Journaling or quiet contemplation can help you connect to what’s meaningful for you.
• Contributing: Pursuing something you care about can bring a sense of purpose and connection.

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A Journey Back to Balance

Understanding the stories your nervous system tells—the stories of safety, mobilisation, or shutdown—can help you recognise where you are and what you need. This isn’t about “fixing” yourself but about tuning in with kindness and taking small, intentional steps toward balance.

Remember, your nervous system is adaptable. With time, awareness, and the right practices, you can cultivate resilience, improve your health, and create a greater sense of ease and connection in your life. Whether it’s through mindfulness, spending time with loved ones, or finding joy in nature, each small action brings you closer to a more balanced and fulfilling way of being.

Exploration continues into the world of Polyvagal Theory.

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