Stressed, Wired, and Tired? Let’s Talk About Your Nervous System
We all know what stress feels like—tight shoulders, racing thoughts, poor sleep—but did you know that stress isn't just "in your head"? It has a profound effect on your nervous system, which in turn influences every part of your health.
Your nervous system has two main modes:
Sympathetic (Fight or Flight): Your body’s stress response system. It’s meant to help you survive danger. It increases your heart rate, slows digestion, and keeps you alert.
Parasympathetic (Rest and Digest): Your healing and recovery state. This is where your body repairs, digests food, and restores balance.
When you’re constantly in fight-or-flight mode—due to traffic, work demands, family stress, or past trauma—your body doesn’t get a chance to rest and heal. Over time, this can lead to:
Digestive issues
Sleep problems
Hormonal imbalances
Anxiety or depression
Weakened immunity
Chronic fatigue or burnout
How to Know if Your Nervous System Needs Support:
You feel wired but tired
You wake up exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep
You have a hard time winding down at night
You struggle with gut issues like bloating or constipation
You feel easily overwhelmed, anxious, or irritable
Natural Ways to Support Nervous System Regulation:
Chiropractic adjustments: These reduce nervous system interference and help your body shift into parasympathetic mode. Many patients report feeling calmer, sleeping better, and having improved digestion after adjustments.
Breathwork and vagus nerve activation: Deep belly breathing, humming, gargling, or cold exposure can stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps regulate your parasympathetic state.
Grounding practices: Walking barefoot on natural surfaces, spending time in nature, or even lying on the floor can calm the nervous system.
Blood sugar balance: Skipping meals or eating high-sugar foods spikes cortisol and taxes your adrenals. Eating protein-rich meals and staying hydrated supports nervous system stability.
Safe movement: Gentle stretching, yoga, or walking can help release stored tension and signal safety to the brain.
How Functional Medicine Can Help:
We use a root-cause approach to evaluate your stress load, nervous system health, hormone patterns, and inflammatory markers. We may recommend:
Targeted nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, or adaptogenic herbs
Stress tracking or wearable devices
Lifestyle coaching to build nervous system resilience
Your nervous system is your body’s command center—it doesn’t just respond to your thoughts; it shapes your experience of life. When it’s regulated, you feel clear, calm, present, and resilient.
You deserve to feel that way. Let’s work together to build a lifestyle that supports peace, healing, and long-term nervous system health.
