There's no right or wrong to whatever you're feeling right now. Our bodies are designed to protect us. That’s why when crisis hits, we might collapse, freeze, fight, or flee. These states aren’t bad — they’re biological. The problem is when we get stuck there.
- Get curious about where you might fall along this scale currently or under certain circumstances.
As humans we have a wide range of emotions and responses all engineered to help us feel safe. Safety and survival are the ultimate primordial needs for living beings. And when those needs are threatened, survival becomes the focus and it can seem like nothing else matters. Things that usually matter a lot can fade into the background: connection, creativity, sleep, nourishment, joy, etc.
Guided Reflection on What Gets Lost in Chaos
We don't even have to imagine what a world with sleep deprived, creatively blocked people would look like. Many of us are living it or witnessing it.
We don't even have to imagine what a world with sleep deprived, creatively blocked people would look like. Many of us are living it or witnessing it.
Take some time to journal or briefly pause to check in about how this may be showing up for you?
- What areas of your life tend to fall out of focus for you when things get chaotic?
- What do you tend to do to help you feel safe?
- Are there people, places, or things that support you?
A Personal Note on Cultivating Safety
Only when you feel safe and connected can your nervous system settle into what we call the
Ventral Vagal
response. This is where healing, growth, social engagement, and sustainability thrive.
Personally I've been practicing mindfulness around areas of my life I tend to let fall behind. I'm working on tending deeply to my most basic needs so I can function with more ease. I've been engaged in protests, spreading awareness and staying informed while continuously checking in with my capacity and also acknowledging rest as another form of resistance. I've been anchoring into people, spaces, and practices where my nervous system feels grounded and calm. And I've been leaning into gratitude for even small moments of joy and fun, savoring what I can in a constantly shifting world.
Messages of Hope
Is there the possibility for healing and collective care, even in the chaos? I believe so. Nothing in this world is permanent and I think we are seeing the rise of some profound shifts. As disempowering as it can feel at times,
the more we tend to our own well-being, the more capacity we have to show up — for change, for justice, and for each other.
Crisis often triggers radical innovation, coordination, and change. People are questioning and deconstructing long standing systems that don't serve the greater collective. The value in community building and space holding is growing. We have to do the work of taking care of ourselves and each another to get to the
Ventral Vagal
(Safety & Connection) window.
This is where we will be able to imagine and create a better more sustainable future for ourselves.
Practical Tips for Nervous System Care
