19/09/2025
“In a culture in which everything feels urgent, social media is filled with bad news, and our work days feel endless, something’s bound to give. Often, that thing is our nervous systems. In fact, if you’re chronically feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, irritable, or worse, there’s a good chance your nervous system is dysregulated.
But what exactly does it mean to have a “dysregulated” nervous system? And, most importantly, how can we get it back on track? Read on to find out.”
“There is a common cluster of symptoms that accompany a dysregulated nervous system,” explains Oliver. “They include: sleep issues, digestive problems, brain fog, hormonal imbalance, emotional reactivity, muscle tension, anxiety, and more.”
“For example, you may feel like you have a really short fuse or become prone to sudden emotional outbursts. You may also be extra sensitive to noise and feel super impatient most of the time. “There’s little tolerance for dealing with stress, so anything uncomfortable feels like a ‘dangerous’ experience,” explains Maggie Hayes, a somatic practitioner who specializes in healing the nervous system and trauma recovery. “Emotionally, you think you can’t change or fix how you feel. You feel blocked or resistant to your feelings, and you don’t know how to express anger, anxiety, or sadness in a way that feels healthy, productive, and safe.”
“While these symptoms are all telltale signs of dysregulation, Oliver notes that it can be helpful to get some hard data to confirm. “HRV (heart rate variability) measurements can provide more insight,” she explains. “Low HRV is indicative of a greater level of nervous system dysregulation. Additionally, biomarkers like hormone levels, blood pressure, and metabolic markers can show allostatic load, which is essentially the wear and tear that stress causes on the body—an indirect measure of nervous system regulation.”
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