Podcast Summary: You Make Sense – "The State of Your Nervous System Creates Your Thoughts"

Host: Sarah Baldwin
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Duration: Approximately 50 minutes

Introduction

In the episode titled "The State of Your Nervous System Creates Your Thoughts," Sarah Baldwin delves into the intricate relationship between our nervous system states and the thoughts that shape our experiences. Drawing upon polyvagal theory and the latest neuroscience, Baldwin elucidates how our autonomic nervous system governs not only our emotions and behaviors but fundamentally constructs our cognitive narratives.

Understanding Autonomic States and Their Impact on Thoughts

Sarah begins by explaining that our autonomic nervous system comprises six primary states, each representing an embodied experience that influences our entire perception of ourselves and the world. She emphasizes that these states don’t just affect our feelings—they generate the complete tapestry of our experiences, including thoughts.

Sarah [02:15]: "Our state actually not only creates our thoughts, but it creates the whole totality of our experience itself."

States of Dysregulation

Baldwin categorizes dysregulation into various emotional experiences such as anxiety, depression, and apathy. She underscores that during dysregulation, our thoughts serve to maintain or intensify this state, often by projecting past dangers into the present moment.

Sarah [05:45]: "The job of our thoughts when we're dysregulated is actually to keep us in dysregulation, or even further, or deepen the dysregulation we are experiencing."

Different Autonomic States and Their Thought Patterns

1. Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight):

   • Characterized by anxiety, fear, and anger.
   • Thoughts centered around urgency and control.
   • Examples include, "I have to do it now," or "If I don't control this, things will fall apart."

   Sarah [10:30]: "There's kind of a theme of 'I have to control what's happening outside of me and I have to do it now.'"

2. Dorsal Vagal Complex (Shutdown):

   • Associated with apathy, hopelessness, and dissociation.
   • Thoughts reflect a lack of agency and inherent unworthiness.
   • Examples include, "It's not possible for me," or "I won't find love at my age."

   Sarah [16:50]: "There's a lot of 'I can't' or lacking of agency in these thoughts."

3. Freeze State:

   • A blend of sympathetic and dorsal vagal states.
   • Thoughts are contradictory, embodying urgency and inability simultaneously.
   • Examples include, "I need to leave, but I can't," creating paralyzing indecision.

   Sarah [20:10]: "It's like a deer in headlights—'I have to, but I can't.'"

4. Ventral Vagal Complex (Regulation):

   • Represents a state of safety and connection.
   • Thoughts are positive and empowering, such as, "I am capable," or "I have inherent value."

   Sarah [24:00]: "From regulation, her thoughts were deeply affirming and grounded in reality."

Client Example: Navigating Marital Challenges Through Autonomic States

Sarah shares a poignant case study of a client married for 40 years, illustrating how her autonomic state influenced her perception of her marriage. When in the dorsal vagal state, her thoughts were laden with hopelessness about her relationship. Conversely, in the sympathetic state during conflicts, her thoughts were aggressive and accusatory.

Sarah [13:20]: "She realized that when she's dysregulated, her thoughts about her husband aren't aligned with her true feelings when she's regulated."

Through self-awareness and somatic tools, the client learned to recognize these patterns, shifting her thoughts from negative and debilitating to positive and nurturing when in a regulated state.

Tools and Techniques for Managing Thoughts

Sarah introduces practical strategies to mitigate the amplification of dysregulated thoughts:

1. Acknowledging and Vocalizing Thoughts:

   • Encourage speaking out dysregulating thoughts to recognize their impact.

   Sarah [26:15]: "Say the thought out loud three times and notice the somatic response."

2. Externalizing Thoughts:

   • Use phrases like "I'm noticing the thought that..." to create distance from negative narratives.

   Sarah [27:00]: "I'm noticing the thought that there isn't enough time."

3. Cultivating Regulation:

   • Shift focus from battling thoughts to achieving a state of regulation.
   • Engage in activities that promote ventral vagal activation, such as walking in nature or journaling positive truths.

   Sarah [30:45]: "Turn towards regulation and excavate what is truly true from that place."

4. Building Positive Neural Pathways:

   • Regularly affirm positive truths while in a regulated state to establish new neural connections.

   Sarah [37:10]: "As you name that truth, feel it in your body. It imprints as a new neural pathway."

Q&A Session: Addressing Listener Concerns

Towards the latter part of the episode, Sarah engages in a Q&A with a listener named Rachel, addressing prevalent issues related to trust in relationships and the struggle to maintain positive thinking.

1. Trust Issues in Relationships:

   • Rachel shares feelings of distrust toward her partner when he’s late from work.
   • Sarah advises recognizing that such thoughts stem from sympathetic nervous system activation and recommends externalizing these thoughts and seeking regulation.

   Sarah [28:50]: "It's important to turn away from the argument with the thought and focus on regulation."

2. Focusing on the Negative:

   • A listener expresses difficulty in shifting focus from negative to positive thoughts despite efforts.
   • Sarah explains the evolutionary basis for our negative orientation and suggests deliberate practice to strengthen positive neural pathways through somatic embodiment.

   Sarah [36:30]: "Working on the muscle of positivity requires effort, much like any other skill."

3. Affirmations and Manifesting:

   • Another listener questions the effectiveness of affirmations when they feel disingenuous.
   • Sarah clarifies that affirmations only resonate when in a regulated state, emphasizing the importance of physiological alignment for cognitive tools to be effective.

   Sarah [43:56]: "The only time that mantras or affirmations work is when you're in a state of regulation."

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Sarah Baldwin concludes the episode by reinforcing the significance of understanding and regulating our autonomic states to foster healthier thought patterns. She encourages listeners to:

• Develop Self-Awareness: Recognize which autonomic state they are in and how it influences their thoughts.
• Practice Somatic Tools: Utilize techniques like externalizing thoughts and cultivating regulation to manage dysregulation.
• Build Positive Neural Pathways: Consistently affirm positive truths while regulated to create lasting cognitive shifts.
• Engage in Parts Work: Acknowledge and work with different parts of oneself that may resist change or seek protection.

Sarah [49:00]: "The more that we do this, the more we gain control of our lives, change our thinking, and step towards the life we're wanting with greater ease."

Final Thoughts

"The State of Your Nervous System Creates Your Thoughts" offers a comprehensive exploration of how our physiological states shape our cognitive landscapes. Through insightful explanations and practical advice, Sarah Baldwin equips listeners with the knowledge and tools to navigate their mental and emotional experiences towards greater freedom and empowerment.

Resources Mentioned:

• Somatic Healing Quiz: [Link in show notes]
• Additional Episodes on Parts Work: [Link in show notes]

Connect with You Make Sense:

Listeners are encouraged to reach out with questions or share their experiences to be featured in future episodes. Contact details are available in the show notes.