We experience many ups and downs in our daily lives. Some of the downs lead our nervous system to serious consequences. This can cause mental health problems, such as nervous weakness, anxiety disorders, depression, or even psychosis. Moreover, it can cause some serious physical conditions and diseases, such as organ system failure, infections, and much more.*
How does our nervous system work?
To better understand our nervous system’s importance for our health and overall wellbeing we briefly introduce it’s complexity.
The nervous system has two components: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The first system consists of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. The second system is made of sensory neurons, clusters of neurons and nerves that connect to one another and to the central nervous system.
It also has two subcomponents: the somatic which controls things that we can control consciously, for example move our arms, and autonomic nervous system which controls processes that we are not able to control consciously, for example metabolism.*
The hours we spend worrying or stressing about work or relationships can negatively affect the functioning of our nerves. It means that our bodies and mental health may soon face serious diseases.
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Signs that you need to strengthen your nervous system
Weak nervous system can have different symptoms. Here are some common signs you might have a weak nervous system:
- Weak immunity
- Fatigue
- Tremors
- Aches
- Anxiety and depression
- Sensitivity and unconscious response
Moreover, a weak, sensitive nervous system is used to send strong signals in situations you don’t want to be in. Do you want to avoid all this and maintain your healthy nervous system? In other words, do you want to be more conscious about how you react? Read below the essential ways how to strengthen your nervous system naturally without any chemical interventions.
Essential ways to strengthen the nervous system naturally
Take a cold shower
Regular morning cold showers make your nervous system more resilient. It increases antioxidant glutathione which lowers unconscious response and helps reduce stress.
When you feel your body and mind are going to get the “fight-or-flight” response, you can reduce this feeling by washing your face with ice-cold water or going outside in cooler temperature with minimal clothing.
Get a better sleep
If you ever spent a night with less sleep than normally, you should probably know how awful the next day is. Unproductive – bad sleep affects our brain function, and productivity. Lack of sleep weakens our nervous system, increases nerve sensitivity.
“Clean” your mind an hour before bedtime. Reduce your use of electronic devices – turn off your phone, stop watching TV.
Try to get no less than 7 hours sleep.
Do yoga or meditate.
Do relaxing activities before bedtime.
Do you need more advice about how to get good sleep, read my previous post: Good Sleep: How to Get It? Fall asleep faster.
Keep positivity
There is no doubt that positivity makes a huge impact on our health. You can reduce sensitivity and stress by being more positive. The question is how to become a more positive person? There is no secret – you can train your brain to be positive instead of negative. There are some common tips how to practice positivity:
Give love. Love can be given to others in many different forms: by letting someone through a door first, volunteering, giving way to another car in a traffic jam, or telling someone you love him/her.
Fill yourself with positive and loving thoughts. Read inspiring stories, surround yourself with positive people and environment. Having positive connections improves positive emotions.
Laugh a lot. Laughter improves our mood so hang out with your friends and laugh as much as possible. Or just watch some comedies.
Be in nature
Being in nature is free and one of the best ways to reduce stress levels that strengthens your nervous system.
Take a walk. This easy exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Spend time in sunlight. Nervous weakness and sensitivity is associated with a lack of vitamin D. Being in sunlight, the body produces Vitamin D and regulates the nervous system.
Gardening. It is proven that gardening positively affects our nervous system. Gardening also can be considered as aerobic and muscular exercise!**
Eat proper nutrition
Here are some of the foods which are good for your nervous system and brain:
- Dark chocolate – it is full of antioxidants, tryptophan and flavonols. They improve the blood flow to your brain.
- Bananas, oranges, and pomegranates – they are good sources of potassium. Potassium keeps your muscles and nerves functioning properly.
- Broccoli is rich in vitamin K, which is an essential component for brain health.
- Eggs contain vitamins and minerals that are useful for the nervous system to function effectively.
- Fatty fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which strengthen the nervous system and is great for our brain. Generally, healthy fats support the development of the nervous system. Other sources of healthy fats: coconuts, nuts, avocados, olives, seeds.
- Herbal teas. Different herbal teas can be used for different purposes. Chamomile tea provides acute relief to nervous tension, reduces anxiety. This tea treats injured nerves. If you want to get these effects, drink this tea 3-4 times daily. Green tea also promotes a healthy nervous system. This tea stimulates the production of hormones that improve mood and concentration, helps manage stress, anxiety and depression.
Exercise regularly
Of course, any kind of exercise is beneficial to our nervous system, but those that develop balance and coordination are especially good. It can be yoga, gymnastics, tai chi. For example, practising yoga offers more flexibility, balance and strength. Furthermore it enhances your mental health. Yoga poses, breathing exercises and meditation help to strengthen your nervous system and bring more happiness to your life. Most important, choose an exercise routine that you enjoy the most, so that you will stick with it regularly.
Avoid harmful chemicals
Alcohol, drugs, cigarettes are dangerous toxic chemicals that damage the nervous system and especially the brain. There are a number of non-physical effects of these harmful chemicals. They can result in behavioral and mood changes such as depression, anxiety. The only way to avoid the negative effects of these harmful chemicals is to stay away from them.
By using these 7 ways to strengthen the nervous system, you will send a message to your body that you care about it. It leads to improvements in mood, and generally wellbeing and allows you to overcome reactions, such as anxiety and depression.
Take care of yourself, because you’re the most important person in your life.
SOURCES:
* – Information prepared according to this source – https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/nersp
** – More about gardening affects here – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427672/
2 thoughts on “7 Essential Ways To Strengthen The Nervous System Naturally”
This was helpful. Thanks!