04/15/2025
“What happens inside your body after an angry outburst or high-stress event?
0–1 min: Brain triggers fight-or-flight; adrenaline surges.
1–10 min: Heart rate spikes, muscles tense, cortisol rises, digestion slows.
10 min–1 hr: Hormones linger; focus drops, fatigue begins.
1–3 hrs: Blood sugar unstable, immune system dips, tension builds.
3–7 hrs: Inflammation rises, cravings hit, mood swings possible.
7–10 hrs: Sleep disrupted, anxiety may linger unless the body calms.
Recovery depends on rest, food, and emotional regulation.
Tools I use personally and share with clients to reset -
1. Cold Water Tapping or Cold Exposure (e.g. face dunk, shower burst)
Why it helps: Cold stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This shifts the body out of "fight-or-flight" and into "rest-and-digest."
Neurobiology: Increases norepinephrine (improves mood + focus), reduces cortisol, lowers inflammation, and boosts vagal tone.
2. Energy Medicine (e.g. tapping, acupressure)
Why it helps: These techniques release blocked energy and stimulate meridians, helping the body reset its electrical system.
Neurobiology: Touch and tapping engage sensory nerves, promoting oxytocin (bonding hormone) and calming the limbic system.
3. Sound Baths / Vibrational Healing
Why it helps: Sound frequencies directly soothe the nervous system and can entrain brainwaves into a calm state.
Neurobiology: Promotes alpha and theta brainwave states, supports serotonin release, and encourages vagus nerve activation through auditory pathways.
4. Nature Time (Earthing, walks, ocean watching)
Why it helps: Natural environments lower stress, reduce sympathetic arousal, and promote coherence in heart rate variability.
Neurobiology: Reduces cortisol, increases dopamine and serotonin, and improves prefrontal cortex regulation (decision-making + impulse control).
5. Movement & Exercise (especially rhythmic or bilateral)
Why it helps: Exercise regulates mood, releases endorphins, and processes excess adrenaline and cortisol post-stress.
Neurobiology: Boosts dopamine (motivation), serotonin (mood), and endorphins (natural painkillers). Encourages neuroplasticity and regulates autonomic function.
Why Regulation Matters After a Stress Response
Your body goes through a cascade of changes during and after stress. Without intentional regulation:
⚡️Cortisol remains elevated, affecting immunity and sleep.
⚡️Blood sugar becomes unstable, triggering cravings.
⚡️Adrenaline leaves muscles tense, keeping the body in “readiness.”
⚡️Inflammation increases, worsening long-term health.
⚡️The vagus nerve, which helps switch from “fight” to “rest,” needs activation to bring balance back.
Regulation helps restore balance and protects against long-term damage from unprocessed stress.
NervousSystemReset
”
~Claire Majestic
