Understanding & Supporting Your Nervous System
Laura Sgro, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Expertise:
Trauma, Anxiety
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This workbook is a neuroscience-informed guide for folks who feel overwhelmed, on edge, or shut down and want to better understand what’s happening in their bodies. You’ll learn how the nervous system works through a polyvagal-informed lens, including the influence of different factors on your reactions to stress. You’ll learn to recognize your body’s cues, identify your stress and survival responses, and track your own nervous system states to better address what your nervous system needs during moments of distress. Through practical exercises and gentle reflection, this guide offers evidence-based regulation strategies you can use in daily life. Rooted in trauma-informed care, this resource will help you build a more compassionate, trusting relationship with your nervous system over time.
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1. Learn how the autonomic nervous system works and why your body reacts the way it does under stress.
2. Understand the role of the vagus nerve, neuroception, and survival responses and learn how to notice and map your own nervous system states
3. Learn actionable, bite-sized regulation strategies you can actually use to support your nervous system.
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