How to Heal your Nervous System after COVID

These have been challenging years that we have all been through in diverse levels. From Covid when
we had to stay at home, to the unprecedented War, to increased pricing of fuel and other day-to-day
cost of living and more. That and all the other curveballs life likes to throw at us.
This takes its toll on our nervous system.

Your nervous system

Your nervous system is your body’s command center. Originating from your brain, it controls your
movements, thoughts, and automatic responses to the world around you. It also controls other body
systems and processes, such as digestion, breathing and sexual development (puberty). Diseases,
accidents, toxins, and the natural ageing process can damage your nervous system.
Doctors often refer to it as your “feed and breed” system
Your nervous system is a wild and incredible network of nerves that act in different key functions to
keep your body moving, responding, sensing, and more. In the simplest terms, the parasympathetic
and sympathetic portions of the autonomic system are two halves of the same whole.
Keep reading to find out more about how the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic
nervous system (PSNS) keeps your body going.

The Sympathetic nervous system – Flight or Fight

The sympathetic nervous system is the fight or flight response in the body. In a situation
where you meet a bear in the woods you’ve two choices Run from it or fight it, so your
system responds (how intelligent our Bodies are!!!) In that situation you will need your large
limbs and muscles to run or fight so your digestive system, shuts down, breathing becomes
more rapid, senses are more heightened, and we switch to a new level of on. Ideal for that
situation when there is a bear in front of you and short-term. Yet too much like too much of
anything creates an imbalance. And Chronic Dis-ease can be the result.

The parasympathetic nervous system

The parasympathetic nervous system regulates the resting and relaxation of the body. Doctors often
call the parasympathetic nervous system the “rest and digest” side while the sympathetic is the “flight or fright” Your PSNS starts in your brain and extends out via long fibres that connect with special neurons near the organ they intend to act on. Once PSNS signals hit these neurons, they have a short distance to travel to their respective organs. The PSNS is a “business as usual” system that keeps the basic functions of your body working as they should. Your PSNS is a vital part of your body’s key functions. When it does not work properly, you can face bodily dysfunctions that affect your health.

So how do we bring the body into a place of Ease and not Dis-ease?

  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Chilly water 
  • Hot/cold therapy
  • Mental fitness
  • Massage 
  • Self-care
  • Eating well
  • Nature

Do not worry if these feel out of reach…. keep reading, I have nice simple tips coming up to help you
heal your nervous system. 
Covid as we have seen has influenced people’s nervous system. Long covid, fatigue, still not
recovered. Chronic lung complaints, chest not 100%.
I have been there with Covid, and it took me time to recover fully.
So, here are my tips

Tip 1 – Vagus nerve

Stimulate it. The largest nerve in your body known as the wellness nerve when it stimulated, we can feel well, and it takes us into the parasympathetic nervous system.

Ways to do this

  • Humming/singing
  • Chilly water (splash chilly water on your face)
  • Meditation – Breathe in through your nostrils for the count of five and out through your
  • nostrils for the count of eight and repeat five times that equals one minute or active your
  • sense of sound closes your eyes and listen to sounds around you for 60 seconds, sounds
  • furthest away sounds closer and the sound of your own breathing.
  • Breathwork – breath in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four
  • Acupuncture 
  • Yoga (I’ve nice easy yet powerful poses on my socials, follow me HERE)

Tip 2 – Rest

When we allow our bodies to rest, we allow our bodies to heal. Our bodies cannot heal
without rest.

  • Take power naps (suggested length?)
  • Restorative yoga (again follow me for juicy restorative poses)
  • Meditation (as above)
  • Health Spa (escape to Shannon Estuary Way)
  • Feet up with a cup of tea
  • Read a book

Get your 7 hours quality sleep at night, if that’s not quality for whatever reasons, take time in your
day to stop and be present with yourself and your breath.

Try this

Stop and take a deep breath in through your nostrils for the count of five and a deep breath out for
the county of eight and repeat these deep belly breaths five times that is a sixty-second micro
meditation that will bring you into the present moment and activate your parasympathetic nervous
system (love this!)

Tip 3 – Day light

Vitamin D

Get outside as much as you can and get direct light into the body. Barefoot walking is another bonus to get grounded, reduce stress, get a better night’s sleep and allows you to connect to nature. If you have not tried it, give it a go. You know that feeling after walking barefoot at the beach!

Tip 4 – Fuel

Feed your body well. Eat the foods that give you energy, typically energy typically the foods that
grow in the earth. Remove processed foods.
Often when we are sick, we want to comfort ourselves with junk food, eat crappy food and you
will feel crappy, eat crappie eat well and you will feel well.

If you can Eat:

  • Organic foods
  • Locally sourced
  • Vegetables – especially green
  • Non processed foods

Tip 5 – Exercise

30 mins a day move your body in a way that feels fun

  • Walk
  • Hike
  • Kayak
  • Dance
  • Swim
  • Rock climb

Tip 6 – Listen to your body

The mind is usually the culprit who tells us things like you are your lazy when you rest, or you can be
lying around and not doing something, you’ve no time for this, it is too late, and all of that. Well at
least that is the way my mind used to operate. 
Not until I practised getting mentally fit. Recognizing the inner dialogue, practising meditation and
mindfulness to get fitter mentally to be able to command my mind and my mind not commanding
me.

To be Physically healthy we need to get Physically Fit
Same
To be mentally healthy we need to get mentally fit

I have learned through my learning and education in anatomy and physiology, yoga, and meditation
that the body has a conversation and if we listen the body does not lie to us. It knows when it ‘sits
hungry it knows when it needs rest, it knows when to heal.

So how can we listen to the body?

Silence

Quiet down the mind and you will hear the body. Pause. Find moments of your day to pause and
listen and ask the power full question. What does my body need?

Connect

Connect with yourself, your health, your health your gut, your gut your body’s needs.

Listen to Your Body, it never Lies, Nourish, and soothe it when it needs it!

I hope you got nuggets of wisdom from this Blog. 
Contact me HERE (link to contact page on website), I would love to hear how you get on or if you
have any questions. I am here for you! (Or something to that effect that feels like you)
Thank you for reading