Chasing Wellness: A Framework for Understanding Nervous System States
I’ve spent the last few years getting trained and certified in a body-based trauma healing modality called the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM). This way of working has been such a gift to my practice, but also to my understanding of myself & how I can find resources to approach life from the posture of calm resiliency - at least more often than before!
What I discovered is that we can all benefit from the knowledge of how our nervous systems function; it’s not just for survivors of trauma - although most of us if we take a look have experienced either “big-T” or “little-t” trauma at some point in life. For me, I started noticing so much more sensitivity and activation in my nervous system when I became a parent - suddenly all of my anxiety was much closer to the surface and I needed (still need) a lot of help finding calm in my body and being present as a safe landing space for my kids.
One of my most significant takeaways that I try to impart to all of my therapy clients is that we don’t need to focus our efforts on avoiding dysregulation - this framework gives us the freedom to accept that life will bump us out of resiliency - and we have the power to build skills to bump ourselves back in so we can approach the moment from the best parts of ourselves.
Understanding our High, Low, and Resiliency Zones
We’ve all had moments of feeling keyed up, completely overwhelmed, or disconnected and numb. If you start to notice what’s happening in your body when you feel distressed, you’ll see that your body is always talking to you. For many of us, it just takes practice to allow that brain-body connection to deepen. Shifts in our emotional and physiological states are natural responses to the stressors we face, so rather than judging ourselves for the responses that come out of us when life throws us for a loop, we can re-frame our behaviors as attempts to survive the moment and let our bodies communicate with us about what makes us feel safe or unsafe.
The Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), developed by Elaine Miller-Karas in partnership with colleagues, offers a way to understand and regulate our somatic responses through the lens of the high, low, and resiliency zones. TRM is based on the idea that our nervous system moves through different zones in response to life events. Recognizing where you are in these zones can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and emotional regulation.
The High Zone
This is the nervous system in overdrive. Many have described the experience of the high zone as feeling edgy or irritable, anxious, agitated, hypervigilant or being in a panic state. The body is primed for action, and while this state can be useful in the short term (such as when responding to danger), staying here for too long can lead to burnout and feeling perpetually stuck at the edge of anxiety or anger, where any little thing can seemingly send us over the edge. Symptoms of being in the high zone include:
Racing thoughts
Increased heart rate
Difficulty focusing
Feeling on edge or easily startled
The Low Zone
On the other end of the spectrum, the low zone is marked by experiences of exhaustion, isolation, numbness, and disconnection. Here, the nervous system has moved into a state of hypoarousal, which can feel like depression, sadness, and overwhelm leading to feeling paralyzed - I call it our “slumpy place”. Signs of being in the low zone include:
Fatigue and lack of motivation
Feeling disconnected from others
Difficulty identifying or engaging with our emotions or those of others
A sense of hopelessness or helplessness
The Resiliency Zone
This is the sweet spot—where your nervous system can adapt and respond to stress without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. In the resiliency zone, you feel present, connected, and able to navigate life’s ups and downs with greater ease. Many report when in resiliency a feeling of, “I can handle what life throws at me.” When we’re the resiliency or “okay zone”, you might experience:
A sense of calm and groundedness
The ability to think clearly and make decisions
Emotional flexibility (you can feel sadness, frustration, or excitement without feeling consumed)
A balanced energy level
Building Resiliency: Expanding Your Zone
Remembering that no one is able to remain in their resiliency zone at all times, the focus is on expanding our resiliency zone so that more of life’s experiences fit inside it. As we practice nourishing our nervous system, we start to notice that something that would’ve previously bumped us high or low feels less triggering, and we are able to recover more quickly.
Tracking Sensations – Paying attention to bodily sensations helps us recognize when we’re shifting out of the resiliency zone. Start to notice the difference between sensations of distress and sensations of well-being, which can be different for each of us. Allowing our awareness to rest on sensations that are pleasant, comforting, or “okay” for us will help develop our impulse control & emotion management
Resourcing – Identifying people, places, memories or objects that are uplifting and bring a sense of calm, peace or strength, then focusing on the details is a TRM skill called Resourcing. Bring your awareness to these things & then track the sensations your body experiences to savor and “download” that resource - this will actually pattern new grooves into your brain that make it easier to move onto paths of well-being.
Movement and Somatic Awareness – It helps to get into the practice of asking, “what is my body asking me for right now?” Gentle movement, stretching, or a short walk can help discharge excess energy from the high zone or bring needed activation when in the low zone. Change the environment!
Self-Compassion and Patience – There’s such a myriad of experiences we carry inside our nervous systems day to day, from our upbringing to our workplace culture to relationship health and current stressors - learning ourselves, our patterns & our needs takes time. Approach yourself with kindness as you explore what bumps you back into your resiliency zone.
Final Thoughts
Learning what sends us into our high, low, and resiliency zones is a huge factor in trauma recovery and our wholistic well-being. By engaging the practice of noticing and using body-based tools to regulate the nervous system, we can cultivate greater balance and increased sense of well-being in daily life.
If you’d like to explore these concepts further or work on expanding your resiliency zone, reach out to a trauma-informed therapist. You don’t have to navigate life alone, and no one ever said they had too much support.
To your flourishing,
Michelle