Dysregulation is a popular term, not because it’s trendy, but because many people are affected by its consequences. I spent many years of my life living more dysregulated than regulated, almost succumbing to the idea that the dysregulation was my story.
But I also found that feeling dysregulated was having a biological effect. It was leading me to gain weight and engage in choices I didn’t love. And this out-of-balance state led to a life of constant self-protection. It’s not a fun way to live mentally or physically. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized my fixation on the dysregulation was part of the reason I could never re-regulate.
One, I didn’t understand the goal of my body. Two, I had put all of my focus on the dysregulation of life, on the self-protection, so that it became my way of life.
But everything changed when I shifted my focus from being a victim of dysregulation to using it. As my mentor always reminds me, “what’s on the other side of the coin.”
On the other side of dysregulation is always regulation. Today, I want to present a new focus on dysregulation. Specifically, the positive side of dysregulation. That doesn’t mean complacency with dysregulation, but it’s shifting the focus and the story to use it as good. Listen to the podcast to learn more.
The Positive Side to Dysregulation.
I want to be clear. I’m not promoting the idea that one creates a dysregulated life on purpose. I’m stating that this is generally what happens when we try to avoid it.
In many ways, dysregulation is a part of life. It happens in a multitude of ways, like an abrupt change in the weather or a big project with a looming deadline. It could be a sickness in yourself or a family member, or it could be a worry that you can’t let go of.
Dysregulation is anything that pulls your body out of its regulated and “safe” space. It happens both physically and mentally.
Your body was designed for these points of dysregulation. In fact, it’s where strength and resiliency are created. But the key to building strength is not staying in the dysregulated state. It’s doing something to change it, to rebalance your body, moving it back into a state of thriving.
Which comes back to a key point in life. What you seek is rarely a destination. Like health isn’t a place. It’s a way of life. Too often, people get stuck in dysregulation because they’re living, seeking destinations, places free of dysregulation, which leads to their own dysregulation. And, truthfully, the self-creation of dysregulation, based on fear, is often what keeps people stuck in it.
The positive side of dysregulation is learning how to use it to regain regulation and balance, which produces a new sense of strength and resilience. Learn about it inside this podcast.
Join us “After The Show.”
I share how I used my dysregulation to build strength and beat my anxiety.
In the live “After the Show,” we discuss body weight, sickness, and bodily dysregulation, as well as emotional dysregulation, and how to use it in a positive way. I share how this helped me beat my own anxiety.
To join the live “After the Show” recordings, subscribe to The Weekly Fill Newsletter. You can also watch all replays of past and future “After The Show” Recordings.
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Resources from the show:
- How You Heal: Regulate Your Nervous System
- 7 Signs Your Nervous System Is Dysregulated
- 10 Things Dysregulating Your Nervous System (+ How To Fix Them)
- Body Weight Matters (Just Not How You Think)
- Do You Have The Capacity To Change?
- The Spectrum of Health (where do you fall?)
