Unlearning Childhood Coping Mechanisms: Nervous System Impact, and The PAUSE Approach
“When you surrender to what is and so become fully present, the past ceases to have any power.” – Eckhart Tolle
Healing from trauma involves unlearning childhood coping mechanisms that shaped our response to the pain of our past. This transformative journey not only impacts our emotional well-being but also has a profound effect on our nervous system.
Understanding how our nervous system responds to trauma and employing strategies such as The PAUSE approach can help soothe and retrain our nervous system, allowing us to live life with more ease and peace.
Unlearning Coping Mechanisms and Nervous System Impact
The coping mechanisms we developed in response to childhood trauma were intricately linked to our nervous system’s fight-or-flight response. They allowed us to navigate and endure the emotional and psychological impact of trauma.
However, these coping mechanisms can lead to a dysregulated nervous system, characterised by hypervigilance, heightened arousal, and chronic stress. Unlearning these coping mechanisms involves addressing the impact they have had on our nervous system and recognising that they may contribute to ongoing patterns of emotional and physiological distress.
The PAUSE Approach: Soothing the Nervous System
The PAUSE approach provides a framework for soothing and retraining the nervous system. By implementing The PAUSE approach, we can interrupt the cycle of hypervigilance and stress, allowing our nervous system to recalibrate and find a state of ease and balance.
The PAUSE approach encourages us to pause and bring awareness to our present experience, allow ourselves to feel and acknowledge our emotions, understand the patterns and triggers that impact our nervous system, surrender to the natural rhythms of our body, and expand our capacity for resilience and emotional regulation.
The Art of Pausing: The Transformative Power of Pausing
P – Presence, take a slow, deep breath to regain awareness and detach from where your thoughts have led you.
A – Allow your physical sensations to settle as your mind starts to calm down.
U – Untangle yourself from the troubling thoughts or narratives entwined in your consciousness.
S – Surrender to the stillness, gradually sinking deeper into the quiet space of innate silence and tranquility.
E – Embrace every aspect of yourself—strengths, fears, and vulnerabilities—by indulging in self-compassion, self-love, and a deeper understanding of the human mind.
Embracing Change: Nervous System Retraining
Unlearning childhood coping mechanisms involves retraining our nervous system’s response to stress and triggers. By integrating practices that promote relaxation, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and grounding techniques, we can help regulate our nervous system’s arousal and reduce the impact of chronic stress.
This retraining process allows us to cultivate a more adaptive response to stressors and triggers, promoting a sense of calm and balance within the nervous system.
Reclaiming Authenticity: Nervous System Resilience
Shedding the guardedness that once shielded us as children can have a profound impact on our nervous system’s resilience. By embracing vulnerability and authenticity, we create an environment that supports the nervous system’s capacity to modulate stress responses.
The reclamation of authenticity fosters a sense of safety and security within the nervous system, allowing it to function from a place of ease and balance.
The Power of The PAUSE: Nurturing Self-Compassion
The PAUSE approach emphasises the nurturing of self-compassion as a means of soothing and retraining the nervous system. By surrendering to our emotional experiences and expanding our capacity for self-compassion, we cultivate an internal environment that supports the nervous system’s ability to self-regulate.
This nurturing process allows us to gradually unlearn the patterns of hyper-vigilance and stress that have become ingrained in our nervous system, promoting a deeper sense of inner peace and well-being.
Navigating the Journey with The PAUSE
The journey of unlearning childhood coping mechanisms and retraining the nervous system requires intentional and compassionate navigation. By integrating The PAUSE approach into our healing journey, we can create a supportive framework for addressing the impact of trauma on our nervous system and cultivating a more adaptive and resilient response to life’s challenges.
The PAUSE approach serves as a guiding light, providing us with the tools and practices needed to soothe and retrain our nervous system, ultimately allowing us to live life with greater ease, peace, and emotional balance.
Reclaiming Inner Peace
The journey of unlearning childhood coping mechanisms and addressing the impact on our nervous system is a vital component of healing from trauma. By integrating The PAUSE approach, we can soothe and retrain our nervous system, promoting a sense of ease, balance, and inner peace as we navigate the path of healing and self-discovery.
This integrated approach fosters resilience, emotional regulation, and a deeper connection to ourselves, ultimately allowing us to live life with greater ease and peace.
You can learn more about the art of pausing by clicking here.
With love,
Angela
Namaste- I honour the place in you in which the entire universe resides. I honour the place in you, of love, of light, of truth, and peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.