The Autonomic Nervous System

Our Autonomic Nervous System is composed of the nerve pathways that join our brain, heart, lungs, digestive system, and many other parts of our bodies so that we can orchestrate appropriate responses to the environment around us. Most nerve pathways (about 80%) feed information to our brain, and about 20% bring information from our brain to other parts of bodies.

The autonomic nervous system has two branches, a sympathetic system which handles our need to mobilize and a parasympathetic branch which handles our need to immobilize.

The Dorsal Vagal (Immobilization) System

According to StephenPorges*, the Immobilization System is our oldest  means of defense and is part of our parasympathetic nervous system. Early life forms, he noted, would immobilize for defense, as they hadn’t yet developed a fight or flight system. We still have this system, and it can be very helpful. In situations where there is no option to fight or flee, the Immobilization System can reduce our breathing and heart rates substantially so as to avoid being detected by a predator.

In the modern world, the Immobilization System can show up as overwhelm, helplessness, depression, and dissociation. Like the fight or flight response governed by the Sympathetic Nervous System, the Immobilization Response is not good for long-term health. It is a short term survival solution, rather than a long-term wellbeing or productivity solution.

The Sympathetic Nervous System (Mobilization)

The sympathetic nervous system is often called our “fight or flight” system. When this system is working correctly it can feel like you’re super-human for a little while. You get lots of short-term benefits like:

  • Increased strength and stamina
  • Sharpened senses
  • Less likelihood to lose blood
  • Faster reaction time
  • Enhanced (but narrowed) focus

These responses are perfect for actual physical confrontations that involve either fight or flight. To support these seemingly super-human abilities:

  • Pupils dilate for sharpened eyesight
  • Blood coagulates to prevent bleeding
  • Lungs & chest expand for more oxygen intake (strength & stamina)
  • Blood pressure increases, heart dilates and beats faster (strength & stamina)
  • Muscles contract (faster reaction time)
  • Liver releases glucose as fuel for muscles (strength & stamina)

At work, it is somewhat normal to be stressed out for hours at a time, on a daily basis, without reprieve. When the stress response is chronic like this, the same bodily reactions, described above, that initially give us super powers start tearing down our ability to think, act appropriately, enjoy life, and stay healthy. Our stress response regards anything not needed in an emergency such as the digestive system, the immune system, and social behavior as unimportant, so those things get less support as the blood & oxygen go to other parts of the body necessary for fight or flight.

A Few Stressful Facts About Chronic Stress:

When we’re stressed, one of the healthiest things we can do is move our bodies vigorously. After all, typical threats back in our hunter-gatherer days demanded we either fight or flee. Either way, we get a good work out. However, if we’re stressed at the office, our social cues tell us to remain sitting while our stress response is telling us to move vigorously. This makes stress even more stressful.

Our stress response can increase the levels of cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and testosterone to a level where trust and creativity simply won’t occur. Our biology won’t allow it.

The Ventral Vagal System (Connection)

The Ventral Vagal part of the parasympathetic nervous system is like an anti-chronic stress system. It regulates our heart beat down to levels where we can actually relax (rest and digest) instead of being vigilant all the time. The Ventral Vagal System is the most recently evolved part of the autonomic nervous and can control both mobilization and immobilization from the top down.

Thanks to the Ventral Vagal System we can also enjoy things like running and biking. We can move just for the fun of it. So long as we perceive there is no emergency, the Ventral Vagal System will regulate our bodies in a way that focuses more on long-term health and wellbeing.

When the Ventral Vagal is in charge, our bodies do things like:

  • Increase digestion and absorption of nutrients due to increased blood flow in the digestive tract, mucus production, gastric juices, and saliva production
  • Increase peristalsis in the intestines so everything moves smoothly
  • Relax lungs
  • Relax pupils for better near-field vision
  • Relax heart. Decrease blood pressure
  • Contract ear muscles to tune into the range of human speech
  • Produce vocal tones that are more melodic & harmonic
  • Produce feel good hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, endorphin, and serotonin. Oxytocin is an important bonding chemical that allows us to trust and co-create with others while dopamine, rewards us for doing things well

All the above factors contribute to additional benefits such as an ability to be more:

  • Curious
  • Interested
  • Creative
  • Collaborative
  • Caring and connected with each other
  • Mindful
  • Trusting
  • Physically healthy due to immune system boost
  • Mentally healthy
  • Playful

That’s right. Using the Ventral Vagal System we can work more sustainably, more creatively, be better team players, while staying healthier, and have more fun doing it. The magical ingredient here is that we feel a sense of safety in order for the Ventral Vagal to function. In the workplace this means we must have a positive sense of connection and trust with our co-workers. We need to know that those we work with, especially those we work for, have our backs, have our best interests at heart, and that they value us as human beings. Otherwise, our defense systems will kick in with all the stress inducing hormones that make trust impossible.

So Then...

If we don’t feel a genuine sense of trust with our co-workers then we must use our bodily resources for defense, to either immobilize, fight or flee. Our defense systems, whether we use them to mobilize or immobilize, are not designed for wellbeing. They’re designed for short-term survival. When we use them too much they can take a harsh toll on our mental and physical health, while also limiting our ability to do our best work and to connect with others.

When we stay in our ventral vagal system we can mobilize longer and more effectively, while experiencing positive feelings which, in turn, enhance wellbeing and growth. Afterwards, we might enjoy a nice rest and be ready to go back at our work the next day with the same degree of enthusiasm. It might look something like figure 1. In this pattern, we stay primarily “in the green.” Life and work feel right and good most of the time. Of course there are times of stress, but we’re resourced for it. We can put out the proverbial fire and continue on.

On the other hand, if we experience work as primarily stressful, we may never get to the Ventral Vagal System at all. If we’re feeling too much anxiety at work, we might need to crash afterwards in a state of overwhelm. In such a pattern, we may always be “in the red,” never quite getting to center. It might look something like figure 2.

If the pattern in figure 2 prevails it can lead to cumulative trauma (figure 3) where the overwhelm just takes over. We become unable to motivate ourselves period. We either fake our way through the work day or quit altogether.

Of course, we can have psychological safety with every one in our workplace and still experience too much stress. However, psychological safety can be a huge mediator of work stress because it can add to the meaning, the energy (pleasure, enjoyment, interest), and to the effectiveness of the group. When we experience these things we’re simply more empowered, pro-active, smarter, and less likely to burnout.