#write28days of Nervous System Regulation – Day 2: Broken
I’m joining Anita Ojeda for #write28days where we write every day of February on a topic, guided (if we so choose) by her word prompts. This weeks prompts fit in so well with my topic that I’m giving it a go.
Today’s prompt is the word “broken.”
How many of you have grown up thinking you were broken? (*raises hand*) That there was something wrong with you? And as your sensitive nervous systems reacted and life became harder and harder were convinced that it was true – you must be broken?
Dear ones, you are not broken. Did you know that when your nervous system “freaks out” it is doing *exactly what it is designed to do* – protect you? That your reactions are natural consequences to what has happened to you in your life and not some sign that something is wrong with you?
That being said, sometimes our nervous systems get a little stuck in the past – although that is a somewhat negative way to explain something that is a natural, protective move of your nervous system as well, and not a sign that it is broken. Your nervous system is designed to run along tracks of habit most easily. This is to your advantage, as long as the tracks it is running on were not set down by repeated trauma that you are no longer in. (And by “trauma” I don’t just mean the big things.) When we are safe but our body doesn’t quite realize it yet because we are moving along neural pathways set down by trauma, we may feel broken, it is true.
The beauty of brain retraining practices, and learning how to regulate your nervous system, is that it can take these natural ways the the nervous system reacts and use it to our advantage. To come into the present and live it with joy. When this happens, our body relaxes, and has the energy to do what it was designed to do, and we begin to heal.
Beloved, you are not a screw up, messed up, broken. A project that needs to be “fixed.” Your body is only trying to protect you, and it just needs to gently, oh so very gently, be shown the way.
Thank you for joining me on Day 2 of #write28days. Day 1 is here if you missed it.
7 thoughts on “#write28days of Nervous System Regulation – Day 2: Broken”
There were some other issues in my childhood in addition to me be sensitive, Amy which caused brokeness in me. But there’s nothing that cannot be undone, if we are open to rewriting the script and healing. Thank you for reiterating that today!
I’m so sorry you had to deal with that. I have experienced similar brokenness from childhood (and adulthood) issues – I believe they all intersect and can be helped by these brain retraining practices I am learning (and pitifully trying to articulate here, LOL!). I love what you said about rewriting the script – yes!
I love the idea of coming out of the past and things that are no longer happening and into the present to live it with joy. I’m hoping to grasp joy today.
Hoping along with you!
I try to replace broken thoughts with scripture. Knowing what God has said about me cancels out what the enemy tries to tell me!
That is a wonderful idea that I know I don’t employ often enough!
“Beloved, you are not a screw up, messed up, broken. A project that needs to be “fixed.” Your body is only trying to protect you, and it just needs to gently, oh so very gently, be shown the way.” Amen! Loved your post! Blessings to you, Amy!