Why understanding your autonomic nervous system matters

Understanding polyvagal theory and applying its perspective and tools to my life has helped me to have more compassion for myself when I'm experiencing stress, challenges, and overwhelm. While the polyvagal theory has mostly been studied in its application to healing trauma and other mental health conditions, I believe it can help all of us better understand our bodies and our everyday behavior. 

The polyvagal theory is a complex theory developed by Stephen Porges which updates how we understand the autonomic nervous system. What I learned in school about the autonomic nervous system was the old model of separating the autonomic nervous system into 2 branches, the sympathetic (fight/flight/freeze) and the parasympathetic (rest/digest). The polyvagal theory updates this and offers a more layered and nuanced way of understanding our autonomic states. The polyvagal theory has 3 organizing principles (Deb Dana has an amazing podcast interview with Dan Harris where she dives deeply into these). 

Principle 1: Neuroception

Neuroception is how your body and brain determine if a situation is safe, dangerous, or life threatening. To make this determination, you gather information on the physical environment (location, objects in environment), sensory environment (sounds, sights, touch, etc.), other people (facial expressions, body language, volume and tone of voice), and your inner senses, or interoception. I know, this is a lot! Your body is like a sensor, always taking in information from its inner and outer environment. 

Your brain uses the information that your body takes in to make an, oftentimes quick and subconscious, judgment on if a situation is safe or not. 

Principle 2: Hierarchy of Autonomic States

Hierarchy in the polyvagal theory refers to the three autonomic states and their relationship to each other.

Photo Source: https://counsellinginhamilton.com/polyvagal-ladder/

You can think of the 3 autonomic states using the visual of an “autonomic ladder”:

• The ventral vagal system (connection) - In the ventral vagal state, we feel able to connect with and trust others, we feel calm and focused, we experience joy and contentment. This state is the most “evolved”  of the autonomic states and involves interpretation of information received through the cranial nerves which control hearing, speaking, facial expressions, and turning the head.  If cues from your body, others, or the environment begin to challenge you and your nervous system becomes overwhelmed, you will move down the ladder to the sympathetic state.

• The sympathetic chain (mobilization)- In this state, you have energy and feel mobilized to fight against the situation or run away and escape it. Emotions experienced here could be rage, frustration, anxiety, and more. If your body begins to sense that its fight/flight efforts are not working or that the situation is life threatening, you will move down the autonomic ladder. 

• The dorsal vagal system (immobilization) - In this state, your body senses life threatening danger and will begin to withdraw and eventually shut-down to minimize pain. Emotionally, this can feel like being hopeless, lacking energy, feeling despair, or feeling numb. Dissociation, or feeling disconnected from your body, exists in this state.  Evolutionarily, this is the earliest state that we developed and is shared amongst most animals, including reptiles.

While these states could be pathologized in their extreme, the truth is that all throughout everyday life we are cycling through these states. Our goal is not to remain in the ventral vagal state all of the time. Rather our goal is to be able to shift into the right autonomic state to meet the need of the moment AND to be able to find our way back to a ventral vagal if/when we get stuck in one of the other modes. 

Here is a recent example from my daily life: 

I woke up feeling rested. I took care of the horses and chickens on the farm and enjoyed my cup of coffee (ventral vagal). I called a realtor about an apartment in San Diego, feeling optimistic about this apartment which had been recommended by a friend (ventral vagal). The realtor shared the rental application process and terms of lease which didn’t line up with what I am looking for (a bit stressed… moving towards sympathetic). I start searching the internet for places to live and have a hard time finding something in my budget that fits my needs (sympathetic). I continue researching and calling apartment complexes but make no progress (more sympathetic activation). I begin to feel hopeless thinking that I’ll never find an apartment and then it will be harder to find a job and do my work (moving towards dorsal vagal). My partner comes home and urges me to go outside and get some fresh air. I’m agitated (moving up to sympathetic) and go outside to shovel the horse stables. I give the horses treats and pets (helpful co-regulation) and start to feel calmer and more connected to nature and feel grateful for the little things (ventral vagal). 

Understanding the subtle ways your body shifts up and down the autonomic ladder all of the time is a really helpful awareness practice. My example is what Deb Dana refers to as writing an “autonomic story” - give it a shot with a recent example in your life!

Principle 3: Co-Regulation

Your nervous system and your body do not exist on an isolated island, and you were not meant to. Co-regulation speaks to our deeply human need for connection and the power of a well-regulated nervous system when we feel off. Particularly in the dorsal vagal state, it can be challenging to move up the autonomic ladder. In these moments connection with a pet, someone you love, or a caring professional can be key. 

When we spend a significant amount of time in survival mode, whether it's primarily sympathetic activation (e.g. overextending ourselves, fighting with ourselves, fighting for others’ affection, blaming others, etc.) or dorsal vagal activation (e.g. numbing ourselves, isolation, low mood and energy), it is difficult to feel connected to ourselves, others, and the world around us. It is also very difficult to make changes in our lives or sustainably work towards inner and outer change. When I think about combatting the hopelessness that comes when fighting against systemic oppression, co-regulation reminds me to find like-minded others I can be with.

When we start to bring a compassionate curiosity to our autonomic nervous system, we can better understand our own patterns and the patterns we see in the world. This is why the polyvagal theory matters and why it is a helpful framework for improving our daily lives. By becoming “active operators” of our nervous system, we can get to the root of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can make us feel stuck. This gives us just a little more autonomy to move through this chaotic world in the most compassionate way we can.

How will you be an investigator and operator of your nervous system today? How might what you discover help you be a regulating force for others?

We need each other, now more than ever.