You increasingly hear that people suffer from stress, anxiety and sleep problems, depression or just restlessness. The world is getting faster and therefore demands more of us. How do you deal with this? How can you monitor and maintain your peace? And which gemstones can help with that?
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
Our body largely knows two different states of being. The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic part ensures rest, relaxation and recovery of the body. The sympathetic part ensures that we are alert and possibly take action. Why is it important to know this?
In the old days, when we lived in the caves, it was obvious to our bodies when danger was imminent. You saw a tiger and immediately our brain knew to turn on your 'fight or flight' mode. As soon as the tiger disappeared, our body returned to a state of rest (parasympathetic). Today our problems are a bit more complicated. For example, our body goes into fight or flight because of a deadline at work or school. But this deadline, unlike the tiger, does not disappear immediately. Which means our body lingers longer or too long in our sympathetic state, preventing us from relaxing and our body from recovering or resting.
When we get too long or often in our fight or flight, this can lead to chronic stress, anxiety or sleep problems, brain fog and sometimes even depression.
HEALING UNREST
How can you feel calm again? By starting to self-regulate the nervous system. In other words, learn to get yourself out of fight or flight mode and return to relaxation. The body is made to switch between the two different states on its own, but because the brain labels some things (like that deadline) as “danger” you need to give your nervous system a helping hand.
There are several ways you can return your body to the parasympathetic state. An important one is breathwork. Breathing sounds easy and natural, but many of us notice the effects of wrong or unconscious breathing without immediately realizing it. Notice if you are breathing high into the chest instead of the abdomen and diaphragm. When you breathe from the chest, you are more likely to experience stress, anxiety and shortness of breath. Singing, humming, dancing, sports, massages or, for example, yoga are ways in which you can reconnect with and return to your body.
Another trick is cold. The vagus nerve is an important part of the nervous system. This nerve ensures that the body enters a resting state. You can activate this nerve by placing something cold on the chest for 5-15 minutes. It also helps to take a cold shower or go swimming outside, for example.
GEMSTONES FOR THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
There are various gemstones that can help heal the nervous system and thus also create (mental) peace and relaxation.
Sunstone is a gemstone that can stimulate self-healing and help regulate the nervous system. In addition, it is a gemstone known for creating vitality and optimism. This is therefore a suitable stone to support the healing of your body.
Amazonite is a gemstone suitable for healing and regulating the autonomic nervous system. It seems that Amazonite can balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain and release blockages in the nervous system. In addition, Amazonite also brings mental peace and relaxation.
Amethyst is known as a soothing and calming gemstone. The stone is often used for anxiety and sleep problems and to reduce nerves and stress. Amethyst is often seen as beneficial to the nervous system.
