When healing from chronic fatigue and pain, it’s important to know that a key factor often driving symptoms is the state that our nervous system is in.

Our autonomic nervous system has an in-built flexibility, moving between being activated in sympathetic (fight or flight) state or in a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state, but chronic stress can over time cause us to lose this natural flexibility.

Learning that I was stuck in an over-activated state was a turning point for me and got me started on my recovery from 8 years of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for things like our heartbeat and digestion, but it also controls the HPA axis in the limbic brain (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal glands). The HPA axis is triggered to release cortisol when we are under stress.

Our more demanding modern lifestyles mean that often people are in this state for prolonged periods during the day without resetting, or in fact for days and weeks at a time.

If we stay in this state for too long, the excess cortisol in our bodies can have significant impacts on our health, causing an impaired immune system, chronic pain and inflammation and leaving us unable to sleep well (being tired but wired is a classic symptom).

I used to suffer for years with generalised anxiety, chronic neck and back pain, IBS and feeling run down. Gradually this led to chronic fatigue as my adrenals got exhausted from pumping out cortisol and adrenaline.

An important part of recovery is building self-awareness: starting to understand your brain and nervous system, noticing your triggers and becoming in tune with how you are feeling throughout the day. Feeling agitated and over-aroused in the brain and body, with rapid thoughts, a fast pulse and tense muscles, can all be clear signs that the nervous system may be over-stimulated and requires calming techniques to reset it to a place of balance.

Hypervigilance in the brain is another symptom of sympathetic dominance. If you find yourself easily startled, or with generalised anxiety like I did, your brain is probably over-activated and scanning for perceived threats.

Emotionally you may be feeling irritable, anxious or overwhelmed. You might be using unhelpful coping mechanisms like reaching out for junk food, caffeine and alcohol to numb the stressful feelings and get through your day.

Working with a specialist coach was of huge benefit, helping me to uncover the difficult thoughts and feelings that were subconscious drivers of my nervous system dysregulation. Learning what the underlying issues are for you personally is a big step forwards towards recovery as tools can then be put in place to reverse this state and to begin the healing of the nervous system.

A book I recommend to clients is Dr. Linnea Passaler’s book “Heal Your Nervous System”.

Yoga, breathwork, meditation, mindfulness and walking in nature were all tools I used in my recovery from chronic pain and fatigue.

Getting adequate sleep, and learning that rest can be physical, mental or emotional was a game-changer and helped me take breaks from my to do list and from feeling I needed to be achieving something; instead I allowed myself time to play, get creative or just to “be”.

I learnt how to release tension and trauma from the body with somatic work, including stretching, shaking or dancing.

I supported my nervous system with a good diet, supplements, gut work (the gut and brain are connected) and complementary therapies such as homeopathy and herbs.

Regular relaxation is important e.g. massage, reflexology, hobbies and creativity where you slow down the mind. Journalling, or other forms of expressive writing and talking therapies, can be really useful to help us let go of pressures and stress in the mind and body.

Mindset work is vital as behaviours such as people-pleasing, perfectionism and resistance to rest can all contribute to nervous system stress. Slowing down, letting go of unnecessary tasks and thoughts, and being discerning about relationships and your work environment, are all great ways to aid healing.

As a mind-body recovery specialist, I've worked with many clients now, bringing all I’ve learnt and helping them to shift powerfully forwards into healthier ways of managing relationships and their stress levels, and to create habits and behaviours that enable them to heal as I did from chronic health issues and live a full and joyful life!

To find out more, contact me to arrange a complimentary discovery call: info@wendydaywellbeing.co.uk