Is Your Nervous System Dysregulated? Signs, Causes, and How to Restore Balance
By: Growth Era Counseling & Wellness
If you’re feeling anxious, exhausted, or burnt out, it’s easy to assume your symptoms are caused by circumstances—work stress, relationship challenges, lack of sleep, or simply “too much going on.” While those factors can play a role, your symptoms may also be pointing to something deeper: a dysregulated nervous system.
Understanding how your nervous system works—and how to support it—can help you feel more grounded, resilient, and emotionally balanced. Below, we’ll explore the signs of nervous system dysregulation and effective ways to begin healing.
(Always consult with your medical provider if you have concerns about your symptoms or health.)
What Is a Dysregulated Nervous System?
The nervous system is your body’s command center. It’s responsible for nearly everything—movement, thought, emotion, and your responses to the world around you.
Every day, your nervous system reacts to sensory input:
• sudden noises
• social interactions
• work stress
• temperature changes
• emotional experiences
When it’s functioning well, your body shifts smoothly between activation and relaxation.
But when stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, those systems can fall out of balance. This is known as nervous system dysregulation.
In simple terms:
Your body stays “on high alert” (or shuts down) even when there’s no real danger.
How the Nervous System Works
Your autonomic nervous system has two major branches:
1. Sympathetic Nervous System — Fight or Flight
This system activates when you face stress or threat. It increases heart rate, sharpens focus, tenses muscles, and prepares your body for action.
2. Parasympathetic Nervous System — Rest and Digest
This system slows things down. It supports digestion, immune function, relaxation, healing, and emotional regulation.
A healthy nervous system moves fluidly between these two modes.
A dysregulated nervous system gets stuck, either revving too high or shutting down too quickly. Over time, this can affect your mood, sleep, energy, and physical health.
Common Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System
Paying attention to the signals your body sends can help you identify when your nervous system is overwhelmed.
Physical Symptoms
Sometimes called “functional symptoms,” these don’t always have a clear medical cause but are very real:
Chronic fatigue
Headaches or migraines
Digestive issues (indigestion, IBS, nausea)
Muscle tension or chronic pain
Trouble sleeping or unrestful sleep
Heart palpitations or shallow breathing
(Important: Always consult with your medical provider to rule out medical conditions.)
Emotional Symptoms
Emotional signs often get mistaken for standalone mental health issues, but can actually reflect an overburdened system:
Persistent anxiety or hypervigilance
Feelings of depression or hopelessness
Irritability, overwhelm, or emotional outbursts
Feeling “shut down,” numb, or disconnected
Cognitive Symptoms
When the nervous system is stuck in stress mode, the brain’s ability to focus and process information can suffer:
Brain fog
Trouble concentrating or completing tasks
Memory difficulties
Racing thoughts or constant overthinking
Evidence-Based Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System
If you’re noticing signs of dysregulation, there are many proven methods to help restore balance. Below are some of the most effective approaches.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps identify and reframe unhelpful thought patterns that fuel anxiety or stress. By changing how you think and respond to triggers, you can calm the sympathetic “alarm system.”
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy for trauma and PTSD. Through bilateral stimulation (often eye movements), the brain reprocesses traumatic memories so they lose their intensity.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Mindfulness helps you observe thoughts and sensations without judgment, disrupting worry cycles and grounding you in the present moment. Modalities like DBT use mindfulness to support emotional regulation.
Holistic & Alternative Practices for Nervous System Healing
Lifestyle habits also influence the messages your body receives. The following practices support your system’s natural ability to regulate.
Yoga & Gentle Movement
Yoga integrates breath, movement, and body awareness—an ideal combination for calming the nervous system. Regular practice can reduce cortisol and anxiety.
Somatic Practices & Body Awareness
These methods help release stress that’s stored physically in the body:
Somatic Experiencing: Notice where tension lives in your body and release it through shaking, stretching, or gentle movement.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and release muscle groups to activate relaxation.
Grounding Exercises: Use your senses or physical contact with the earth (feet on the floor, deep breaths, tactile input) to anchor yourself.
Nutrition & Hydration
What you consume can influence your nervous system:
Choose whole foods, colorful produce, lean proteins, healthy fats
Limit caffeine, sugar, and alcohol
Stay hydrated
Prioritize Sleep & Rest
Sleep is when your nervous system does its deepest repair work:
Aim for 7–9 hours nightly
Keep a consistent sleep schedule
Create a wind-down routine
Avoid screens before bed
Keep your sleep space cool, dark, and quiet
Social Support & Co-Regulation
Being around calm, supportive people can bring your nervous system back into balance. This is called co-regulation—a powerful, natural tool for emotional steadiness. Even pets can provide this calming effect.
Healing From the Inside Out
A dysregulated nervous system can impact every part of your life—physically, mentally, and emotionally. The good news: it’s treatable, understandable, and reversible. With the right tools, support, and practices, your nervous system can learn to shift out of constant stress and back into a state of balance and resilience.
If you’re ready to take control of your nervous system and feel more grounded and connected, support is available.
Request an Appointment Today
Start your journey toward a more regulated, peaceful, and integrated life.