Nervous System Mapping
The first step to being able to reliably regulate yourself is to understand what your own individual experience feels like. When we’re aware of what’s happening in our nervous system, we can also identify resources to help our bodies shift into safety and regulation.
What we can track, we can work with.
The first step is to map your unique nervous system response. Each of our individual behaviors, experiences, beliefs, and emotions shows up looking slightly different.
Learning how to recognize your specific tells (e.g., ope, I’ve been rereading this text for the past 10 minutes without sending it, must be a little frozen) can help you to recognize and access what you need to feel better. Pay extra attention to whether there are specific responses that feel extra familiar to you (Deb Dana calls these your nervous system home away from home).
Begin to check in with yourself and to observe the following questions:
Physiological observations:
Breathing (what’s happening with my breath? Do I realize I’m breathing? Is it shallow? Fast? Deep? Slow? Easy? Forced? Nourishing?)
Digestion ( Do I feel hungry? What’s happening with your bowel movements–too many or too few?)
Heart rate (Fast? Irregular? Slow? Steady?)
Immune system responses (How prone am I to getting sick? Are there other health related issues that get better or worse in certain situtions?)
Behavioral:
Appetite and eating (more or less hungry? If I’m hungry, what am I hungry for? Am I aware of my eating while I’m eating? Am I aware of fullness cues when I’m eating?)
Sleep (Am I sleeping more or less? If I’m sleeping, is my sleep disrupted or constant? Am I dreaming? When I wake up, do I feel rested?)
Sex drive (do I want more or less sex? Are there certain partners, behaviors, or styles I’m more or less interested in? Am I drawn to more or less risky behaviors?)
Social interaction/relationships (do I want to see others more or less than normal? Is it easy to talk or interact when I’m among friends? Acquaintances? Strangers? )
Use of distractions (social media, tv, video games, shopping etc)
Substance use (more or less? Are there specific substances I’m drawn to?)
Movement and exercise (more or less? Are there specific workouts I’m drawn to or not interested in?)
Emotions:
Which emotions am I experiencing right now? Am I more or less aware of my emotions in this state? Do I feel more or less judgemental of the emotions I’m feeling? Is it easier or more difficult for me to tolerate this emotion or feeling?
(If identifying emotions feels tricky, try noticing which section on the wheel of emotions you’re more likely to land in when you’re in each state)
Narratives:
Complete the following sentences based on what you’re believing or feeling in this moment:
I am…
People are….
The world is…
This observation helps you get familiar with your individual nervous system blueprint; beginning to recognize the features or tells that can signal what is happening and what is needed.
This awareness of what your nervous system is doing becomes the foundational building block for trusting your own wisdom and your own capacity to regulate and care for yourself.
(Nervous system map is adapted, with gratitude, from Deb Dana and Rebecca Kase)
