Did you know that allergies can manifest out of nowhere? I see it ALL the time in practice. Until a few years ago, I was living my life content as an allergy-free person (little did I know how good I’d had it!)
Now they can creep up on me when there’s a sudden bloom, if I’ve been off my dietary ‘plan’, or even when stress throws me out of balance…which has been way more common these past 2 years.
If you experience chronic allergies, or if your current allergy protocol only provides partial relief, then there’s a secret ingredient you may want to explore. It’s called nervous system regulation, and it can go a long way towards supporting your immune system and overall health in general.
So what does it mean to be regulated, anyway? If you follow the holistic psychologist (good stuff) she posts about nervous system regulation frequently. When our nervous systems are regulated, we can flow through our days, sleeping deeply, waking rested, and bouncing back from life’s stressors.
However, when we’re dysregulated, we may:
- feel too sensitive
- startle easily
- have difficulty focusing and concentrating
- have a poor memory or word recall
- feel irritable
- feel fatigued yet still sleep poorly
- have inconsistent bowel habits
Well, what does this have to do with allergies? Allergies result from a hyper-immune response that is influenced in part by stress hormones and inflammatory markers. When our nervous system is better regulated, our stress hormones are more balanced. And balanced stress hormones keep critical inflammatory markers that influence histamine in check. In fact, a number of studies even show a link between allergies and anxiety.
So, if you think you fall into the ‘needs more regulation’ category, consider these supportive reminders:
1) Get to bed and wake up consistently within one hour of the same time EVERY day. This can take discipline, but it is SO worth it. Also remember that for every hour of sleep before midnight, you get twice as much melatonin – so sleep is much more restorative
2) Fill up your cup (no, not your coffee cup!) at the start your day. Cultivate a morning practice (before you check your text messages and emails). Even a short practice will enhance your nervous system’s bandwidth. What works best for you? breathing, meditation, prayer, exercise, reading, journaling are all some options. It doesn’t have to be the same thing every day, but your body will appreciate you tending to it before the To Do list.
3) Get outside, everyday (rain or shine). Even if it’s just a few minutes a daily connection to the natural elements is important fuel. This practice when done with intention is both restorative and replenishing.
4) Move your body, everyday. Physical activity, especially vigorous activity discharges stress and is very grounding.
5) Intentionally clear your energy everyday. Keeping your energy body flowing supports regulation of your nervous system. After all, we are 90% energy and only 10% physical matter so tending to our energy body regularly benefits our whole self. (and #’s 2-4 above are great ways to clear energy!)
You can also consider these two opportunities below to support your nervous system’s regulation:
Call in Your Big Dreams – Virtual Retreat
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I am so excited to be participating in this upcoming event 🙂
This is your opportunity to participate in an 8-week container to help you: let go of stagnant energies, accept yourself, become super clear on your dreams, and restore your confidence to go for it. Throughout your inner healing journey, you will have support from others in the container.