46. Strategies to De-Stress Your Nervous System | Before, during, and after intense events

We are often witness to, or sometimes in the middle of, traumatic events. Whether it’s a mass casualty or cumulative stress over time, our nervous system can get stuck in an upregulated state. In this episode, we break down: training to handle stressful events, protective strategies to employ during and after traumatic events, the physiology of PTSD, specific techniques to downregulate your nervous system and getting to a place of equanimity. Guest Bio:  Ryan Cheney is a mental health therapist, breath work, and performance coach based in Bend Oregon. Our guest on Stimulus Episode 5: The Art of Breathing, Ryan is a thought leader in the field of wellness for health care professions. You can contact him here for further questions and consultations. Awake and Aware | Our 2024 Live Event Join us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Mitigate stress and stay cool under pressure. Create the mindset you want and lock it in. Limited slots. Website: Awakeandawarebend.com 16.25 Hours Category 1 AMA CME The Flameproof CourseThis is the hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website We discuss:   The Las Vegas mass casualty and the wide range of emotional responses of those who were involved [03:50]; Trauma is different for every nervous system -What’s traumatic for one person may not be for another [05:50]; Training to handle stressful events in a better way [08:15]; What’s happening physiologically when you have PTSD after a traumatic event [10:40]; Strategies that are protective of your nervous system DURING a traumatic event [14:20]; The importance of PRE-TRAINING so that you have tools to down-regulate your nervous system in the moment [19:20]; Protective, positive strategies that can be used AFTER a traumatic event to reduce the risk of PTSD [25:50]; The role movement plays in down-regulation and why dosage matters [31:40]; The benefit of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and other body-based therapies for processing acute trauma [35:10]; The process of intentionally letting go, or “cutting strings”, when something is weighing heavily on you (such as a client, patient, etc.) [37:30]; And more.