What Is Sympathetic?
What nervous system state prepares your body to fight or run away?
Sympathetic
When Sympathetic turns on, does your heart beat faster or slower?
Faster
What emotion might come up if you’re feeling jittery and like you can’t sit still?
Anxiety or nervousness
What is the nervous system trying to do when Sympathetic turns on?
Protect you
What breathing skill uses equal counts in, hold, out, hold?
Box breathing
Is the Sympathetic system meant to help or hurt you?
Help and protect you
Do your muscles feel relaxed or ready to move?
Read to move
What emotion might come up if your heart is racing and your hands feel shaky before a big event?
Nervousness or fear
Does the nervous system react faster or slower than your thinking brain?
Faster
What coping skill helps when your body feels jittery and full of energy?
Movement or stretching (pushing against a wall, working out, walking, etc)
Does Sympathetic energy make your body speed up or slow down?
Speed up
What might happen to your breathing when you feel anxious or scared?
It becomes faster
What emotion might come up if everything starts to irritate you and your body feels tense?
Anger or frustration
Can your body react to stress even if there is no real danger?
Yes - Perceived threat
What skill uses your senses to bring attention back to the present moment?
Grounding - (5 senses grounding, alphabet, etc)
Why does the body activate Sympathetic energy?
To prepare for danger or stress
Why might your stomach feel upset when you're nervous?
Blood moves away from digestion
What emotion might come up if your mind keeps racing with “what if” thoughts?
Worry or anxiety
Why might someone feel anxious even in safe places sometimes?
The nervous system learned from past stress
Why can slow breathing help when anxious?
It signals safety to the brain
Is Sympathetic always bad, or can it sometimes be helpful?
It can be helpful
Why might it feel harder to think clearly when very anxious?
Survival brain takes over
What emotion might come up if your body feels tense and ready to react quickly?
Fear, anxiety, or anger
Why do two people react differently to the same situation?
Their nervous systems learned different patterns
Should you calm your body first or solve the problem first?
Calm your body first