An exercise to get to know your sympathetic state better and discover what puts you into "fight" or "flight."
Polyvagal Exercise Explanation:
In our daily lives, our autonomic nervous system tries to keep us safe at all times. The sympathetic nervous system does this keeping us safe by taking the paths of anger or fear in response to signals of possible danger. When you are better able to recognize the signals of your "fight" or "flight" reactions in time, the better it will be to adjust this reaction.
How do you do this exercise?
Examine how your sympathetic responses of "fight" or "flight" come to life. Do this by paying attention to the initial buildup of feelings of anger or fear.
Write down what causes you to want to defend ("fight"):
- What signals do you feel in your body?
- What thoughts come to mind?
- What emotions are you feeling?
- What do you want to do?
Write down what causes you to want to avoid ("flee"):
- What signals do you feel in your body?
- What thoughts come to mind?
- What emotions are you feeling?
- What do you want to do?
Tip
Practice makes perfect! The more you practice with this assignment, the better and faster you will be able to recognize the signals of sympathetic energy and the easier it will be to adjust them.
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