Learning to listen to your body

Your body constantly gives you signals when it is out of balance, but we often ignore these signals. Stress, tension, and unresolved trauma not only cause physical complaints but also affect how we feel mentally and emotionally. Recognizing the signals your body gives you from a sympathetic nervous system, better known as the fight/flight mode, or a 'freeze' reaction, is the first step to regaining balance.

Fight or flight and always being 'on'

Around my 30s, I discovered that since childhood, my nervous system was in a permanent fight/flight mode, or in a sympathetic state. When I sat on the couch to relax after a busy period, I panicked. I had no idea how to calm myself down. When your nervous system is in survival mode, you are always 'on' and feel very alert, as if danger lurks at any moment. This manifests in symptoms such as an increased heart rate, tense muscles, and rapid shallow breathing. This response, intended for short stress moments, can lead to overload, insomnia, fatigue, and even serious health problems if chronically activated. If you recognize yourself in this and think you are also in this mode, it is important to take action.

Freeze and unresolved trauma

Besides the fight/flight mode, there is also the freeze mode, a state where your body essentially shuts down. This reaction is common in people with trauma. In the freeze state, you often feel paralyzed, helpless, numb, or emotionally absent. It is a way for the body to protect you and prevent overstimulation and often indicates that there are unresolved feelings and emotions that need attention but are experienced by you as too overwhelming at that moment.

Physical and mental signals that you are out of balance

Your body can show in various ways that something is wrong. Common complaints are tense muscles in your neck, shoulders, and back, headaches, intestinal complaints, but also emotional signals such as mood swings, feeling overwhelmed, and difficulty relaxing. I myself suffered from inflammations, stomach pain, migraines, and palpitations for years but ignored these signals because I was not aware that my body was trying to tell me something. Instead, I demanded even more from myself. Whether you are continuously in fight/flight mode or in a freeze, both indicate an overstimulated nervous system that screams for rest and recovery. It is important to take these signals seriously and take action before your balance is completely disrupted. Because you can often hold on for a long time until it really doesn't work anymore and you end up in a burnout or depression.

Causes: traumatic events and our society

The cause of an overstimulated nervous system often lies in a combination of traumatic experiences from the past and the 'symptoms' of the busy performance society we live in. An unstable, unsafe, or stressful environment at a younger age, disturbed attachment, or traumatic events can lead to prolonged overstimulation or a freeze of your nervous system. In my case, there was often arguing and shouting at home, to which I responded by hiding, but later in life, this manifested in patterns like working very hard, perfectionism, and extreme sports. In addition, modern stimuli such as the constant pressure to perform, deadlines, social media, and intense news create a constant state of alertness. It is this combination that causes your body to give signals that you can no longer ignore.

Bring your nervous system into balance with Groove of Life

Do you want to be better able to listen to the signals of your body and bring yourself back into balance? In the Groove of Life program, you learn to connect with your body, recognize the signals of your system, and receive the tools and guidance to calm your nervous system, reduce stress, and make room for unresolved emotions and feelings.