Ways You Might Be Coping With Low Vagal Tone

 Do you subconsciously do things in your life BECAUSE your vagal tone is low?

In my practice, many mums don’t realise how much they’ve just been “getting by”, regulating their nervous system with coping mechanisms they simply thought were part of their personality.

But what if these mechanisms have been designed by your nervous system to drive safety, thereby allowing you to feel regulated?

I’ve listed a few ways you might be coping with low vagal tone that you aren’t aware of, but there will certainly be more that are personal to you. We all have something (we are human after all!)

• You prefer going to the exact same restaurants, cafes and social locations because it’s familiar and less draining

• You use social drugs such as caffeine and alcohol to get you through uncomfortable social situations and to dampen your connection to your lack of safety

• You have a time limit on how long you can stay out before you go down the path of dysregulation

• You prefer your safe, familiar people, rather than meeting new people and going to crowded places all the time

• You love routine, you will often get to places early ‘just in case’ and you can be rigid when it comes to plans changing

Of course, some of these behaviours can be for other reasons too, but the underlying theme is trying to control your environment. The reason we do this is because it helps our nervous system feel safe. It does this through rigid control and choosing familiarity.

Is there a part of your life you feel rigid in? Or something that feels draining to you?

Can you look at it from a safety lens and understand why you might subconsciously have that strategy in place?

If you need some help with your vagal tone, you can work with me with group coaching or one on one. First though, download the checklist and see how your vagus is tracking right now.