For the Tired and Wired of 2020
Support in Switching Gears
This is an empowerment note for those stuck in low-to-medium chronic distress.
A nervous system-based boop in a new direction… for the fridge-riding, doom-scrolling, cannabis-smoking, drinking a bit extra-ing, tv-binging, over-exercising, drama-seeking, workaholic, stressing lot of us.
In the OI model, we think of the nervous system as adversely impacted by three mechanisms/tendencies/patterns, that happen autonomically and in the moment:
- Too much inhibition
- Too little inhibition
- Incomplete rest period
These refer to physical patterns that maintain a nervous system’s state. They keep us stable, and they help us avoid further traumatization. However, they also maintain the status quo, which can keep us stuck and suffering. So “too much”, “too little” and “incomplete” are not judgements, but ways of describing unconscious physiological processes that take place during sympathetic arousal (more on that another time.) I hope to normalize how the nervous system tends to choose stability even when the conditions offer potential for growth, and one aspect of what we can do about it. Growth can be hard, but we know from experience what is also hard: things staying the same. So if you are feeling fed up…
