Wondering why you react the way you do? Why sometimes you feel calm and connected, while other times you might feel anxious, disconnected or even shut down?
The answer lies in understanding your nervous system and how it responds to the world around you. In recent years, Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, has revolutionised our understanding of the nervous system, emotional regulation, and social connection. This theory explains how our autonomic nervous system (ANS) responds to safety and danger, influencing our ability to connect with others, manage stress, and navigate the world.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It attaches to many of the major organs in the body including; heart, lungs, and digestive system, entering the brain at the base of the skull. The Vagus nerve connects the brain and the body with 90% of data travelling from the body to the brain while only 10% travels from the brain to the body. The statement “trust your gut” is proving to be scientifically true, with the neuroceptors present in the gut being most commonly the first body part to detect danger, threat or safety.
What is Polyvagal Theory?
Polyvagal Theory explores how the vagus nerve, a key part of the ANS, regulates our physiological state and affects our emotions, stress response and behaviour. At OKAY we prefer the term safety response rather than stress response. It is important to highlight that each of these nervous system states/influences/responses are integral to our survival and are expected to be experienced most days. Suffering occurs when we are stuck outside of our window of tolerance.
The theory introduces three primary states (although we prefer “influences” rather than rigid states as the nuance of the nervous system, emotions, physiology, communication, sensory processing etc is so complex):
- Ventral Vagal State/Influence (Social Engagement)
- Sympathetic State (Fight or Flight/mobilisation)
- Dorsal Vagal State (Shutdown/Freeze/immobilisation
How Does Polyvagal Theory Impact Emotional and Social Functioning?
Polyvagal Theory helps us understand that our ability to regulate emotions and connect with others is deeply tied to our nervous system state.
- A child struggling with anxiety or sensory overload may be stuck in a fight-or-flight response. When we are stuck in a state of hyperarousal or sympathetic influence we may be more hypervigilant to our surroundings. Our sensory experiences can be more challenging or threatening than they would typically be when regulated/connected.
- If we were to spend a lot of time with a sympathetic influence this would lead to increased exposure to adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones). At some point we would burn through our cortisol stores; needing rest and recovery to replenish (dorsal vagal – disengaged and disconnected). When exposure to threat is persistent we oscillate between dorsal vagal and sympathetic states/influences.
- A student who appears disengaged or unresponsive might be experiencing a shutdown state due to overwhelming stress.
- The children we often work with often have a narrow window of ventral vagal or regulation capacity meaning that they fluctuate between sympathetic and dorsal vagal influence.
- Creating safe, predictable environments helps individuals access their ventral vagal state, fostering learning, communication, and trust. We help with this!!
Applying Polyvagal Theory in Daily Life:
Our role in working with schools and workplaces is to support the adoption of a trauma informed nervous system lens so that we can support children to experience moments of ventral vagal influence and extend their window of tolerance to build learning capacity. Educators, therapists, and caregivers can use nervous system informed approaches to support emotional regulation and well-being.
Would you like to explore how to apply this in your work or education specific settings? Let’s dive deeper! 🚀
