Everyday life challenges us — professionally, within our families, and emotionally. Many people remain under constant pressure, often without noticing it. Until the body begins to send its first signals: difficulties concentrating, muscle tension, sleep disturbances, or a persistent feeling of inner restlessness.
These symptoms indicate that the autonomic nervous system has fallen out of balance — something that is now supported by numerous studies (e.g., the TK Stress Study 2021). The good news is that our bodies have the capacity to regenerate. The nervous system can re-regulate. And the body’s self-healing processes can usually be reactivated once balance is restored.
What does stress have to do with the nervous system?
Our autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic system (activation) and the parasympathetic system (calming). It controls vital functions such as breathing, digestion, heartbeat, and energy regulation.
Ideally, the autonomic nervous system — as its name suggests — regulates itself. It shifts flexibly between tension and relaxation. Under chronic stress, however, the body remains in alarm mode. In that state, the sympathetic system takes over while the parasympathetic system is suppressed.
Warning signals of the body under stress
When stress becomes a long-term condition, the body responds — often more clearly than we would like. The autonomic nervous system is highly sensitive to ongoing overload. The result can be a wide range of physical symptoms for which medicine often cannot find a definite alternative cause. Even so, these are real warning signs. They show that the body and nervous system are no longer in balance.
Typical complaints may include:
- Palpitations, a feeling of tightness, or stabbing pain in the chest
- Muscle tension and tension headaches
- Gastrointestinal issues such as an irritable stomach, irritable bowel, or loss of appetite
- Shallow breathing accompanied by the feeling of “not being able to breathe properly”
- Sleep disturbances or chronic fatigue despite sufficient sleep
- Night-time rumination and inner restlessness
- Increased sensitivity to noises, social contact, or demands
- Frequent infections due to weakened immune defence
- A feeling of physical detachment or estrangement from one’s own body
Attention
The symptoms listed above can also be caused by other illnesses that require timely treatment.
However, stress as a possible cause is reason enough not to postpone a medical evaluation.
These reactions may be based on a persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released continuously — a state that, over time, disrupts the delicate interplay between the cardiovascular system, breathing, digestion, and immune function.
In this context, diagnoses are sometimes given such as “autonomic dystonia,” “autonomic imbalance,” or references to psychosomatic causes. However, these terms do not necessarily refer only to stress. Rather, they often describe symptoms whose underlying causes have not yet been identified at a physical level. Stress reactions of the body should be distinguished from the everyday use of the word “stress” as acute or ongoing external strain and pressure.
Body-oriented therapeutic support for stress
Body-oriented therapeutic support addresses precisely this interface — between the nervous system, bodily experience, and inner regulation.
In my practice, I help you rebuild a connection with your body and strengthen your capacity for regeneration. To do so, I combine different therapeutic approaches tailored to your individual situation and, where appropriate, coordinated with your physician, orthopaedist, or psychotherapist:
- Craniosacral therapy to regulate the autonomic nervous system
- Mindful touch and trauma-sensitive support
- Breath and body awareness as resources for inner stability
- Psychoeducation to better understand physical reactions
- Practical impulses for everyday life, e.g., simple exercises to activate the vagus nerve and release stress
- Support through herbal medicine approaches
- Optional: Tai Chi & Qigong — weekly group sessions or inspiration for your personal practice
Learn more
Would you like to learn more about the methods used in my practice? Here you will find further information:
Weitere Informationen zur therapeutischen Begleitung: Sie möchten mehr über die meine Behandlungsverfahren und den Behandlungsablauf erfahren? Dann kontaktieren Sie mich gern über das Kontaktformular. Wenn Sie mir Ihre Telefonnummer hinterlassen, rufe ich gern zurück. Oder vereinbaren Sie direkt einen Termin in meiner Heilpraktiker-Praxis in Berg am Laim. Beachten Sie, dass ich erst nach einer ausführlichen Anamnese entscheide, welche Behandlungsmethode geeignet ist.
Ihr Bernd Hußnätter