It’s not more muscle we need but nerve...
Think of this ladder in three sections. The top is where we want to be... calm, connected, happy - able to think, be compassionate and open with others. We are most like elephants when at the top of the ladder, compassionate, social, smart and can learn and remember things.
When our system senses danger we become like tigers, we fight or flee to protect ourselves. We are motivated to make it right and get things done or escape. Some people stay in Tiger mode to avoid slipping down the ladder but they also don’t get to the top either, they are stuck in fight or flight. If the Tiger isn’t successful we can slip down the ladder to the bottom.
At the bottom we are like a turtle hiding in our shell. We feel overwhelmed and not motivated or confident at all. We move and think slower. We may look depressed or lazy. To get to the top we have to go through the middle. Once at the bottom though it is so very hard to get motivated and get all the way back to the top.
So it seems we need to exercise our muscles 💪 to get better at going up and down the ladder when needed huh? Think again...
You have to exercise a nerve...I know crazy sounding huh? It’s true though. The vagus nerve is a central part of the system that helps us move up and down the ladder better and faster so the health and strength of the vagus nerve and all the other parts of our nervous system are so important to overall happiness and connection to others!
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