Stop Running From Imaginary Lions: A Guide to Your Nervous System

Let's cut through the fluff and talk about the two systems running in the background of everything you do, your Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). Whether you're an athlete, someone dealing with anxiety, or just a person trying to get through the week, this really matters, understanding why you might be reacting, feeling or even talking to yourself in a certain way can all be linked back to these two systems.

Diagram showing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the human body

What Are the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems?

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) — Your "Fight or Flight" or "Go"

This is your fight or flight response. When stress or danger shows up, your SNS kicks in. Heart rate goes up, breathing quickens, pupils dilate, and you feel that surge of energy. Useful? Absolutely.....in the right context.

The problem is a lot of people are walking around in 'go' mode all day long. For anyone, a constantly overactive SNS means anxiety, poor recovery, and eventually burnout. Your body thinks it's being chased by something, it's not........but it doesn't know that.

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) — Your "Rest and Digest" or "Slow"

This is the other side, rest and digest. It slows your heart rate, supports digestion, and is where your recovery actually happens.....but too much of this and you feel flat, unmotivated, and disconnected, which isn't great either, especially if you've got things to do.

The Balance Is Everything

Think of it as a dial. Too far one way and you're wired, anxious, and burnt out. Too far the other and you're sluggish and low energy. The sweet spot, optimal arousal is where you're alert, focused, and actually functioning well this is for athletic performance and just doing life!

Here's the bit most people miss, if you're stuck in chronic low-level stress, being told to "just meditate" and "breath" is pretty useless advice. Your body is in survival mode, meditation feels impossible because physiologically, it kind of is....your body is ready for an attack so asking it to close its eyes is just too much, what you need to do is to address what's keeping you stuck.

What You Can Actually Do

• Move regularly. Exercise is one of the best tools you have for regulating both systems. It's not just about fitness.

• Learn to breathe properly. Simple breathing techniques can genuinely calm an overactive SNS. It's not woo — it's physiology.

• Sort your sleep. Poor sleep keeps your SNS elevated and tanks your recovery. Everything else suffers because of it.

If you want help figuring out where you're sitting on that dial and what to do about it book a session or subscribe for updates and let's get into it.