Have you ever been explaining something about nervous system regulation...
..whether it's about taking a mindful moment, noticing our breath, engaging in some kind of practice or reflection...
And noticed someone's eyes start to glaze over?
Maybe you mentioned fight or flight.
Or the vagus nerve.
Or how important it is to regulate our nervous systems.
And you get that subtle feeling that they've heard it all before.
Maybe they're even starting to tune out.
It's frustrating when you know there's so much more to the science than the words people have become familiar with.
Especially when you can see how much it could help them.
Sometimes the language we've learned to explain nervous system regulation can actually limit how people understand it.
And when we're trying to reach someone who's skeptical, distracted, or simply tired of hearing the same advice, the words we choose matter.
This is one of the reasons I love teaching nervous system regulation through a multi-dimensional lens.
Because the more nuance we have in how we understand what's happening in someone's brain-body system, the more nuance we can bring to our language.
We can begin to notice what's happening in a particular moment.
Another layer someone might be experiencing.
What they might need to hear to become a little more curious.
And how we might describe the science in a way that connects with something they're actually going through.
The more dimensions we learn to recognize, the more ways we have to make the science relevant to someone's real life.
And that can make a difference when we're trying to help people learn, grow, and change.
Because sometimes the very thing that makes someone curious again is hearing something familiar described in a way they've never considered before.
A little reflection for today:
Are there words or explanations you find yourself using that might be making your work sound more familiar than it really is?
With love for the infinite dimensions of your beautifully adaptive nervous system,
Stefanie
P.S. If you'd love to bring more nuance and fresh language to the way you teach nervous system regulation, that's part of what we explore inside Teach the Nervous System™.
Already enrolled? Take another look at your welcome message! I've added some practical notes on how to directly and immediately apply the language and frameworks to your own offerings, presentations, and the content you're sharing.
