notes on freedom
A weekly email series containing easily digestible morsels of info on relational trauma and how to find freedom from it.
THIS WEEK IT’S A NOTE ON…signalling safety to facilitate healing
Polyvagal Theory has changed how we approach trauma healing, mental health and well-being.
The theory, now backed up by countless research studies, has demonstrated that the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is in a continual process of ‘safety-assessment’. It’s assessing what’s happening inside and outside the body to determine if what it feels and sees is safe or threatening.
If it senses threat the ANS moves us quickly into patterns of protection (anxiety, shutdown, withdrawal, hypervigilance, black and white thinking etc). These ‘patterns of protection’ are our trauma symptoms.
If it senses cues of safety the ANS moves us into patterns of connection (openness, curiosity, relaxation, compassion, lateral thinking etc). It’s in this state that healing occurs.
A well-regulated nervous system can flexibly move into patterns of protection and then easily back into patterns of connection. A dysregulated nervous system struggles to move out of patterns of
protection – it’s stuck.
The ANS learns through experience. Childhood trauma shapes the system away from connection and towards protection. Over time the system becomes increasingly sensitive to signals of possible threat, picking up on more and more cues of threat, and moving us further into protection and
away from connection.
Polyvagal Theory has also taught us that everyone, include those with a complex trauma history, can use simple tools and techniques to re-shape the nervous system away from protection and towards connection.
As we use the power of neuroplasticity to re-shape the nervous system our trauma symptoms lessen, our well-being increases and we have a different, gentler, experience of life.
All the more incredible is the evidence that only small, relatively fleeting, moments of connection and regulation accumulate over time to create a much more flexible, responsive nervous system. There’s a tipping-point at which the neuroplasticity works strongly in our favour and supports
patterns of connection.
Finding freedom from trauma involves learning how to signal safety to our nervous system, so we can begin to re-shape it and create more connection and regulation.
We do this through a process of noticing when we’re moving into patterns of protection and survival (i.e. noticing when we’re activated, triggered, stressed and moving into fight-flight-freeze) and then using simple tools to move us back into regulation and connection.
As you move through the day notice the micro-indicators that you’re moving into protection and dysregulation (e.g. anxiety-like symptoms, irritability, stressed-out, racing heart, rumination etc). Then find a way to signal safety to your nervous system and activate your ventral vagal nerve.
The following tools work for most of my clients. Play around with them to find the ones that feel good for you:
– Resonant breathing (in for 5, out for 5)
– Polyvagal breathing (in for 4, out for 8)
– Focus on a part of your body that feels good, comfortable or neutral (e.g. focus your attention on your feet or butt)
– Exhale using vibration (using ‘voooooooooo’ or ‘oooooo, aaaaaaa, eeeeee’)
– Shake your hands and/or stamp your feet
– Move rhythmically (e.g. swaying)
– Go outside, close your eyes and listen to the birds, or play a bird-song
recording
Do these slowly and mindfully and use one of them every time you feel
yourself activated.
The healing effect over time is profound.
With love,
S. x
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Sarah Woodhouse is a trauma expert, research psychologist and writer who delivers people the knowledge and tools to recognise and overcome self-defeating cycles, to achieve personal freedom and success. Please follow her on Instagram, Facebook or X for all the latest updates.
