Stress and Your Nervous System: A Path to Wellness

For anyone experiencing stress, the most important thing you need to learn is how to support your nervous system. Your nervous system is the control center of your body. It’s responsible for everything from regulating your heartbeat to controlling your movement, thoughts and emotions. The nervous system has two main parts:

Central nervous system (CNS)

·        includes brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

·        contains the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which plays a central role in how your body responds to stress

The ANS is divided into two branches:

o   sympathetic nervous system (SNS) - activates the ‘fight, flight, freeze or fawn’ response, triggering a cascade of physiological changes, such as increased heart rate, faster breathing, and a rush of adrenaline. This is your body’s natural reaction when faced with a perceived threat, preparing you to take immediate action

o   parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) - known as the ‘rest and digest’ system, undoes the work of the SNS after a stressful situation, decreases respiration, heart rate and increases digestion. The vagus nerve is part of your PNS.

Stress Response and Its Impact

While your body’s ‘fight, flight, freeze or fawn’ stress response is crucial for survival in short bursts, prolonged or chronic stress can cause serious problems for your body and nervous system. Over time, the SNS can remain in overdrive, leading to symptoms such as:

• Anxiety and Restlessness: When your nervous system is constantly activated, your brain becomes more prone to heightened emotional responses, leading to feelings of constant unease.

• Digestive Issues: Chronic stress can affect your gut, leading to conditions like IBS or heartburn, as your body diverts energy away from digestion to ‘flight, fight, freeze or fawn’ functions.

• Sleep Disruptions: The SNS’s overactivity can disturb your ability to rest, leaving you feeling fatigued and mentally drained.

• Increased Risk of Chronic Illness: Long-term stress contributes to a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, and hormone imbalances.

Thankfully, the nervous system is adaptable, so by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve via self-care stress management techniques, you can counteract the stress response, bringing the body back to a state of calm.

Remember, your nervous system is resilient, and with the right tools, you can find your way back to peace. Research: Psychological Stress and the Autonomic Nervous System

Rosanna Commisso - Founder, StressCare Solutions

Championing Workplace Wellbeing | Mental Health & Trauma Advocate

As the Founder of StressCare Solutions, my passion for helping organisations navigate the growing challenge of stress and trauma in the workplace, is personal.

With over 30-years’ experience spanning health, training and community services, and my own lived experience with mental health, burnout and trauma—I bring both professional insight and ‘lived experience’ understanding to my work.

My mission is simple: to empower organisations, and their staff, with the tools they need to recognise, manage, and reduce stress before it leads to burnout, and to implement trauma-informed practices to support their staff.

Through engaging, evidence-based workshops, impactful speaking engagements, and trauma-informed workplace support, I help teams build resilience, improve wellbeing, and thrive.

Let’s build healthier workplaces—together.

📩 rosanna@stresscare.com.au | 🌐 www.stresscare.com.au