Lesson 4: Softening Your Internal Environment
Healing is not just about what we do—it’s about our environment, both external and internal.
The Internal Mind Space
Our psychological space plays a profound role in shaping our nervous system, influencing whether we feel safe and supported or overwhelmed and dysregulated. A stressful online environment or heightened or tense atmosphere has just as much impact on our healing as a chaotic or difficult physical space.
When we are constantly exposed to stimulation our nervous system remains on high alert, interpreting this as a sign that we need to stay in survival mode. This keeps the body in a state of hypervigilance, where true rest and restoration become difficult. Without realizing it, we may be reinforcing patterns of stress simply by what we expose ourselves to each day.
Making Small Adjustments
The good news is that just as overstimulation fuels stress, intentional shifts toward gentler, quieter spaces send signals of safety to the nervous system. Small adjustments—like softening your surroundings, reducing digital noise, and curating the content you consume—can begin to guide your system toward ease. This is not about restriction or rigid rules but about recognising what feels nourishing and gradually making space for more of it.
Easing Off Stressful Inputs
When we realise how much our environment influences our nervous system, the instinct might be to immediately cut out anything that feels overstimulating. But drastic changes—like quitting social media overnight or eliminating all screen time—can create more stress rather than relief. The key isn’t to remove everything at once but to ease off gradually, giving your nervous system time to adjust to a gentler way of being.
Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, consider small, intentional shifts that reduce overwhelm without creating added pressure. This could mean:
- Setting a timer for social media scrolling to avoid getting lost in overstimulating content.
- Turning off notifications so your nervous system isn’t constantly jolted into alertness.
- Curate your content online Consider unfollowing accounts that increase anxiety, and you can reduce or stop watching the News or high-stress content
Each small adjustment is a signal of safety, helping your body and mind find a more balanced, restorative rhythm over time.
Mind-Body Connection and Your Nervous System
Your body cannot differentiate between real and perceived stress. Whether the threat is a real physical danger or reading an alarming headline, your nervous system reacts the same way—by triggering a stress response.
Imagine scrolling through social media and coming across distressing news. Without realizing it, your heart rate increases and your muscles tense. Your body is preparing to respond to a perceived threat, even though you’re physically safe. Over time, repeated exposure to these stressors keeps your nervous system in a heightened state of alert.
The good news? Just as stress signals can feed into a dysregulated state, intentional choices can begin to bring your system back to safety. Taking a few slow breaths, stepping away from screens, or spending a moment doing a somatic practice can gently shift your nervous system toward ease. By choosing to reduce unnecessary stress input, you allow your Mindbody system the space it needs to recover.
You’ve completed The First Steps to Recovery mini course! 💗
Take a deep breath and allow yourself to fully acknowledge this moment. Every step you’ve taken—each small shift, each moment of awareness—has been an act of care for yourself. You are learning to create a foundation of safety and ease, and that is something to be deeply proud of.
The healing journey is not about reaching a finish line; it is about creating a life where your body and mind feel supported. With each gentle choice you make, you are reinforcing the message that you are safe, you are worthy, and you are capable of moving toward a more restful way of being.
When you feel ready, you can return to explore the next steps that feel right for you. You are always welcome here.
Pause here. Take a deep breath in. Exhale slowly. You are creating a space for ease, and that is enough. Let it be a beginning.
Next Steps
As you are coming to know – healing isn’t about speed – you’re already making progress just by showing up for yourself today. Keep going, gently. You are so worthy of this care.
If you feel called to continue, here are some supportive next steps to consider:
- A Short Healing Practice from the Blog – You can also explore shorter healing practices and tools to bring you out of Fight-Flight-Freeze.
