Hi everyone, and welcome back to the HST Podcast. I’m so glad you’re here.
Last week, we talked about what happens when our nervous system becomes dysregulated—that wired-but-tired feeling, the digestive issues, the brain fog, the emotional rollercoasters. You might feel like you’re always on edge or like your body is stuck in a loop of stress and shutdown.
If that resonated with you, today’s episode is going to be especially helpful.
This week, we’re looking at how we can step out of what I call the Quick Fix Cycle—and into deeper healing—using a framework called the 4 Pillars of Nervous System Health.
Let’s take a breath together, and begin.
Understanding the Quick Fix Cycle
First, let’s look at the autonomic nervous system, or ANS.
It’s the part of your nervous system that runs automatically—controlling things like heart rate, breathing, digestion, and immune response. It has two main parts:
- The sympathetic nervous system, which jumps into action when we sense danger. It’s what activates the fight-or-flight response.
- And the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us recover. It slows things down and allows us to rest and digest.
In a healthy system, these two parts work like a seesaw—balancing each other out, depending on what’s needed. But in today’s world, that balance often gets lost.
Think about this: how many times in the past week have you rushed through a meal? Felt tension in your jaw or shoulders? Woken up tired despite sleeping 7–8 hours?
When the nervous system is constantly activated—and we don’t get a chance to return to calm—it leads to chronic stress, which affects every system in the body. We may experience inflammation, hormonal imbalances, digestion problems, even immune dysregulation. Over time, this can increase the risk of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and more.
So naturally, we try to fix it.
We might try a new supplement, eliminate a food, download a meditation app, or binge health podcasts. And sometimes these things help! But they can also become part of the quick fix cycle—where we’re always chasing relief but never feeling quite well.
We patch the symptoms, but we don’t look at the whole picture.
And that’s not a flaw in us—it’s a flaw in the system that taught us healing was supposed to be fast, linear, and external.
So what do we do instead?
Introducing the 4 Pillars of Nervous System Health
Let’s go back to 1977. Dr. George Engel introduced a new model in the journal Science—the biopsychosocial model of care. He suggested that to truly help someone heal, we must consider not only the body, but also the mind and the social environment.
That was revolutionary. And decades later, Dr. Linnea, author of Heal Your Nervous System, built on that idea and created a modern framework called the 4 Pillars of Nervous System Health.
They are:
- Body
- Mind
- Connection
- Spirituality
Let’s explore them more deeply.
Pillar 1: Body
This is the one most of us try to focus on when we’re not feeling well. And it’s important.
The body pillar includes your physical systems—your cells, organs, immune system, digestive system, hormones, and nervous system. But it also includes the choices that affect these systems: how much you sleep, what you eat, how you breathe, how you move your body, and how you respond to stress.
This pillar is about coming back to your physical self with curiosity and compassion.
Ask yourself:
- Are you eating food that nourishes you—or food that keeps you in survival mode?
- Are you breathing into your belly—or holding your breath without realizing it?
- Are you moving your body in ways that feel joyful—or just checking off a box?
And how do you feel after doing those things?
Even tiny shifts—like adding one calming food or one minute of deep breathing—can send signals of safety to your nervous system.
Pillar 2: Mind
This pillar is often misunderstood. It’s not about “positive thinking” or forcing gratitude.
The mind pillar is about your thoughts, emotions, inner dialogue, beliefs, and the way you process experience.
If your body is the soil, the mind is the climate.
Are you watering yourself with compassion? Or are you constantly telling yourself you’re not doing enough?
One of the most powerful things I’ve learned is that our thoughts aren’t always facts—but they do influence our biology.
When I began to catch myself thinking things like “I’ll never get better” or “I’m just too sensitive,” I started asking, “Is that true—or is that a story I’m carrying?” That one pause often created a window where self-kindness could enter.
Supporting this pillar might look like:
- Practicing emotional awareness
- Noticing your inner dialogue
- Working with a therapist or coach
- Using journal prompts or voice memos to reflect
- Creating a safe mental space through creative expression
Pillar 3: Connection
We’re wired to connect. Even if you’re introverted or private, your nervous system responds to the people around you—sometimes more than you realize.
The connection pillar is about your relationships—with your partner, family, friends, community, and even strangers. It’s also about co-regulation: the way our nervous systems sync up with others.
Ever notice how being around someone calm makes you feel more at ease? Or how a tense environment puts you on edge, even if no one says anything? That’s co-regulation in action.
This pillar also includes boundaries. Sometimes, regulating your nervous system means limiting contact with people who drain or dysregulate you—and that’s okay.
We support this pillar by:
- Seeking safe, nourishing relationships
- Building community, even slowly
- Asking for help when needed
- Offering support when we’re regulated enough to do so
- Allowing ourselves to say “no” when necessary
Pillar 4: Spirituality
This is the most personal and often the most powerful pillar.
Spirituality isn’t about following any one tradition—it’s about feeling connected to something bigger than yourself. That could be nature, ancestry, creativity, music, ritual, prayer, or simply the feeling of awe when you look at the stars.
When life feels chaotic, this pillar can help bring a deep sense of meaning and orientation. It reminds us that we’re not alone.
Supporting this pillar might look like:
- Spending quiet time in nature
- Practicing gratitude as a ritual, not a to-do
- Reading sacred texts or poetry
- Honoring ancestors or lineage
- Creating or maintaining meaningful rituals
Together, these four pillars interact and support one another. When we strengthen even one, we begin to shift the whole system toward balance.
A Practice: Sensory Input Awareness
Here’s a small practice to help you tune into your nervous system:
In your journal, draw two columns:
- Label one Comforting
- Label the other Bothersome
Then list sensory experiences in each column—things you touch, taste, hear, smell, or see.
Examples:
- The sound of birds in the morning might be comforting.
- A flickering fluorescent light might be bothersome.
- Orange juice with pulp might be on the bothersome list for you—but comforting for someone else.
There’s no right or wrong—just what’s true for you.
The more you become aware of your sensory preferences, the more you can intentionally design your environment to support regulation. Over time, your nervous system learns, “This space is safe. I can relax here.”
Closing + A Look Ahead
Dr. Linnea’s book, Heal Your Nervous System, includes many more exercises like this one. And I’ve found her approach to be both simple and profound.
Next week, I’m giving myself permission to shift gears a bit—and share something I’ve been passionate about for years: raw foods.
“Raw foods felt like a contradiction at first—how could something so energizing also help me feel calm? But that’s exactly what I discovered. The simplicity and life force of raw foods helped regulate my nervous system in ways I didn’t expect.”
It’s a topic that often brings up strong opinions—but for me, raw foods have been more than nutrition. They’ve been a path back to self-trust and balance.
So if you’ve ever been curious—or just want to hear a new perspective—I hope you’ll join me.
Until then:
Take a breath.
Take a moment.
And take care of your beautiful, intelligent, healing nervous system.
See you next time.