We had 2 questions come in from listeners about chronic stress and autoimmune issues in the ND marriage and how to build resiliency and calm the central nervous system in high-stress environments.

Today, Dan and Stephanie talked with Jana Smith, an expert in this area.

About Jana:

Bio: Jana Smith is a Certified Nervous System and Somatics Coach with a Master’s Degree in Health Education. Jana’s experience with neurodiversity began in her family of origin and included her diagnosis of ADHD as an adult. She also has firsthand experience navigating chronic illness. After 7 years of debilitating symptoms, Jana found relief by learning how to build resilience through nervous system regulation. She has made it her life’s work to help others bounce back so they can thrive instead of just surviving.

Talking points:
1. Chronic illness is connected to stress, even if we don’t feel stressed out. Low-level ongoing
nervous system dysregulation leaves us vulnerable to developing symptoms and illnesses
(physical and emotional).

2. Define and explain the causes of nervous system dysregulation.

Factors that affect our propensity to dysregulate:

• Our neurotype

• Our personality

• Our attachment style

• Our past experiences

• Our current stress level

• Our perceptions of safety

3. Dysregulation is not bad! God created our nervous system responses to protect us. However, when we are unable to return to regulation, we can end up living in a chronic stress state.

4. What types of situations, without proper support, create chronic dysregulation?

• Past trauma

• Difficult marriage

• Parenting challenges

• Neurodiversity (both for the individual and the family)

• Not feeling emotionally supported or connected; feeling emotionally abandoned

• Feeling invalidated: not feeling seen and heard

• Overfunctioning, perfectionism, people-pleasing

• Co-dependency

• Lack of sleep

5. Dysregulated nervous system states: fight/flight, freeze, fawn/overwhelm. Examples.

6. It’s never too late to learn nervous system fitness.

7. Knowledge vs experience: you can learn all about the brain, the science, polyvagal theory,
etc., and still live in a mostly dysregulated state.

8. Walk through a brief experiential example to help cultivate nervous system balance.

Reach out to Jana:
https://www.janamsmith.com/