Training Your Nervous System: Why Calm Takes Daily Practice

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Calm isn't a state we can simply decide to feel but rather a skill we develop through consistent practice, similar to building a muscle. When we understand that our stress responses are patterns developed over time, we can begin to retrain our nervous system by exercising our vagus nerve - the calm switchboard of the body.

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Episode Transcript

Emily Feist (00:00):
Calm isn't something you just decide to
feel.
It's something you practice,just like we do with our muscles
, and if you've never trained it, you just might feel that calm
is out of your reach.
Welcome back to 'It Starts atVagus', the podcast where we
stop chasing calm and startcreating it, one small shift at
a time.
I'm your host, Emily, and I'myour guide to rewiring stress,

(00:23):
restoring calm and giving yournervous system the attention it
deserves.
Let's get into today's episode.
You know how people say justrelax, like you haven't tried it
before.
And yet it looks like it comesso easy to some people.
Here's the truth.
Calm isn't just a mood you canswitch on.
It's a skill and, like anyskill, you get better the more

(00:46):
you practice it.
Think about stress and anxietyfor a second.
They're not just feelings,they're also patterns, habits
your brain and body learned overtime.
You've been practicing thosepatterns for years, often
without realizing it, and thenyour nervous system is saying
okay, I guess this is how we dolife now, high alert all the

(01:08):
time.
That's how it is, and some daysit's the big stuff, like an
argument with somebody you loveor a tight deadline at work,
while other days they're tiny,like the coffee shops is out of
your oat milk, or the weird tonein a text message that keeps
you overthinking.
Your body reacts to all ofthose, big or small, like it's

(01:30):
reading different chapters ofthe same book.
The characters are familiar,but the plot twist keeps
changing.
That's why you can't just learnhow to be calm once and done.
You need a flexible, adaptablenervous system that can shift
gears no matter what chapterthrows at you.
That's where your vagus nervecomes in.
It's the calm switchboard ofyour body.

(01:52):
When it's healthy and practicedit's like a skilled DJ,
smoothly fading out the highalert track and bringing in the
slow, steady beat when you needit.
But if you never give itpractice, it gets a little rusty
and outdated.
The skills we had when we werekids no longer work as well when
we are adults.

(02:12):
So yes, calm takes reps.
You don't wait until you're inthe middle of a panic spiral to
try your first breathingexercise.
You need to practice it beforeit's necessary.
You need to practice it ineveryday's necessary.
You need to practice it ineveryday low-stake moments like
pausing for three deep breathswhile your tea steeps, or

(02:34):
noticing the weight of your bodyin a chair while you're in a
Zoom call.
These little micro moments arewhen your vagus nerve learns
okay, we can downshift, we canfind our way back here, because
when the bigger storm hits, yournervous system already knows
the way home.
It knows the route to nervoussystem regulation.

(02:54):
Think of it when you are in ablizzard I grew up in North
Dakota where blizzards wereyearly and sometimes the storm
gets so bad that you can't seefive, 10 feet in front of you,
and sometimes that would getscary.
But when you're in familiarsurroundings and you know which

(03:16):
route to take, it gets lessstressful.
Yes, you still have to dealwith that stress and you still
have to move forward, but it'snot as scary as if you were in a
completely different setting.
We also want to practicebecause it is like building a
muscle.
You wouldn't expect to carry a50-pound box if you've never
lifted anything heavier than acoffee cup.

(03:37):
Calm works the same way.
So here's your takeaway fortoday Don't just wait for calm.
Your takeaway for today.
Don't just wait for calm.
Practice and apply it.
The more familiar it feels, theeasier it is to reach, no
matter what life throws at you.
That's why some people can,quote-unquote, just relax,
because their nervous system hasalready practiced enough to

(03:58):
find that off switch.
And since we are talking aboutpractice, let's do one together.
Make sure you're in a safe areaand adjust to your
circumstances.
So you know how.
The ocean doesn't rush right upto the shore.
It takes its time, waves in andwaves out.
Let's borrow that rhythm for aminute.
Wherever you are, let yourshoulders drop a little If

(04:19):
you're sitting.
Let your feet rest on the floorIf you're standing.
Notice the weight of your bodybeing held up without you having
to do anything.
Now breathe in gently throughyour nose Four, five, six.

(04:45):
Let's do today.

(05:19):
again.
through your nose One, two,three.
Hold for a moment.
And out through your mouth Four, five, six, one more.
Inhale One, two.
Feel your ribs expand, pauseand exhale like you're blowing
through a straw all the way out.
And that's it One moment ofcalm.
Today.
You can check that off yourlist, but continue to 'It it as
Vagus' days go by so that whenthere does become a stressful
situation, you can have thesetools in your tool belt.
So you just gave your vagusnerve a little stretch, and the
more you do this in the middleof the day, in between Vagus.

(06:02):
while making your tea, theeasier it becomes to find that
feeling again when you reallyneed it.
All right, friends, thanks forhanging out with us today on it
Starts at Vegas.
New episodes are released everyTuesday to give you tips so
that you can soothe your nervoussystem and reclaim who you are.
Make sure you're subscribed andshare this with someone who you
know could benefit.
And until next time, rememberwellness starts at Vegas.