The Nervous System

Understanding the Nervous System: The See-Saw of Anxiety

When working with anxiety, it’s crucial to understand what’s actually going on inside the body. A lot of fear and confusion comes from not knowing why we feel what we feel — and this understanding alone can bring immense relief.

Let’s start with the basics.

Two Main Parts of the Nervous System

Our nervous system is made up of two key branches:

The Voluntary Nervous System
This is the part we control. It directs movement of the limbs, head, and trunk — basically, how we move and act physically. It’s made up of the brain and spinal cord, with nerves branching off to muscles throughout the body.
The Involuntary Nervous System
This part controls everything that happens inside us automatically — like our heartbeat, digestion, breathing, blood flow, even sweat and saliva. It responds to our mood and emotions, and we cannot directly control it. This is the system most affected by anxiety.

The Involuntary Nervous System: Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic

The involuntary nervous system itself has two components:

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) – The “fight or flight” system.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) – The “rest and digest” system.

Here’s how they work:

The sympathetic side gears us up to face danger. It’s highly sensitive and designed to protect us — especially back when our dangers were life-threatening (like escaping wild animals).
The parasympathetic side helps us rest, recover, and feel calm. It holds the sympathetic system in check, maintaining a peaceful balance in the body.

But when you’re anxious, the sympathetic system gets triggered too easily, and the balance is lost. You sweat, your heart races, you might feel dizzy, nauseous, or shaky — all automatic reactions caused by a surge of adrenaline.

We Don’t Usually Feel Our Body Working… Until Balance Breaks

When your nervous system is balanced, you actually feel very little. Your body just works, and that peaceful “nothingness” is a beautiful thing.

But when you’re emotionally overwhelmed — afraid, angry, excited — the sympathetic system overwhelms the parasympathetic, and you suddenly become very aware of your bodily sensations.

You don’t feel these things because something is wrong.
You feel them because your body is out of balance.

And that balance is the key to managing anxiety.

The See-Saw Effect

Think of your nervous system like a see-saw:

When both systems are balanced, you feel calm and stable.
When the sympathetic side rises (due to fear, anger, panic), anxiety symptoms appear.
When the parasympathetic side rises (due to love, safety, contentment), you feel peace, joy, and relaxation.

The problem is that the sympathetic system is much more dominant — for good reason. It’s designed to keep us alive. A strong reaction to danger is more important than a mild reaction to something nice.

This means that anxiety-prone individuals — especially those with GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) or free-floating anxiety — often experience a system that is overly sensitive and slow to return to balance.

What Can You Do?

The goal is to rebalance the see-saw — not to suppress or ignore the feelings, but to help the nervous system find its equilibrium again.

This can be achieved in a few ways:

BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy) – To stop the automatic triggers from overwhelming the system.
Hypnoanalysis – To uncover and resolve the root emotional causes that keep the system stuck in overdrive.
Floating – A powerful tool taught by Claire Weekes that helps you stop fighting sensations and allow your system to reset naturally. [Learn more about floating here.]

A New Perspective on Anxiety

So the next time you feel the physical symptoms of anxiety, remember this:

Nothing terrible is happening inside you. You are simply out of balance.

And like any imbalance, it can pass — if you allow it.

Don’t try to fix every sensation. Don’t panic about the panic. Instead:

Accept what you’re feeling
Float through the discomfort
Give your body time to return to balance

Practice the See-Saw Awareness

Over the next few days, try to notice your nervous system in action:

When you’re laughing or feeling love, that’s the parasympathetic side at work.
When you’re feeling anxious, tense, or irritable, that’s the sympathetic side flaring up.

Every emotion has a chemical footprint — and every footprint affects your nervous system. Knowing this puts you back in the driver’s seat, even when the journey feels bumpy.