Many classic science books have presented the Autonomic Nervous System as… autonomic (independent of your will and consciousness). That’s why they named it… autonomic! But modern research and practice have proved that you can control your heart, blood pressure, metabolism, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc fundamentals of your body and mind… with external or internal factors.
Let’s say Auto NS is like a super automatic car… all internal processes are autonomic. Even so, you are still the driver!
You maintain it. You drive it. You direct it. You speed up by the gas pedal. You slow down by inertia or the brake pedal.
You can drive Auto NS by the main two systems:
-The gas pedal – the speed up action system (aka Sympathetic Nervous System – SNS). Or Stress System (fight or flight). GAS IS STRESS.
-The brake pedal or inertia – the slow down system (aka Parasympathetic Nervous System – PNS). Or rest – digest – regenerate. BRAKE IS MAKE… BY REST.
It’ s clear you can’t drive only with the gas pedal or only with the brake pedal… but it is what most people do! Some people even push gas and brake pedals both together. Don’t lough, you may be one of them… when driving your Auto NS!
Auto NS is all about balance of STRESS and REST!
Stress by most people, even the health experts, is seen as something bad. A thing they try to avoid at all cost… it’s wrong. Yes, stress when chronic (prolonged) is a poison. But you know, the dose makes the poison! The right dose of a poison in the right timing can make a life saving medication.
OK, but how to know when stress is good or bad? Here is Doc Dog’s stress rule to rule the stress…
CAP (C.A.P. = Controlled stress + Acute stress + Positive stress)
Imagine you have a magic bottle with a giant spirit in it. The giant can be super bad or super good. He can kill or fulfill… any of your wishes to transform your body, mind and life. If you let him out of the bottle, he becomes evil. If you master him, he gives you his great powers. All you need to control this mighty bottle and spirit is… CAP.
CAP meaning in brief:
- Controlled stress means you control it, not that the stress controls you
- Acute stress is kind of cute… short stress for a few minutes or hours
- Positive stress is any stress that you perceive as positive
