Lately, everyone seems to be talking about what happens when the nervous system becomes “dysregulated” – including a cascading array of ailments both physical and psychological. Google searches for “nervous system dysregulation” have increased, and quick, easy tips for calming one’s nervous system circulate widely on social media; influencers claim to have healed physical and mental health conditions via nervous system regulation.
The concept of nervous system regulation may sound perplexing; not least of all because it’s often brought up in the same breath as myriad alternative, even faddish-seeming therapies, like hypnosis and cold plunges. Skeptics may wonder: what does the nervous system have to do with our painful emotional experiences? And can nervous system-related hacks help with our most stubborn, mysterious health problems?
