Opposites attract and balance each other out - and so it is with stress and relaxation. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems play a key part in the stress response and in relaxing the body. In today's post you'll find out exactly what the tasks of these two parts of our nervous system are and which parts of the body they're connected to.
What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain as the control centre and the spinal cord in the spinal canal of the vertebral column, while the peripheral nervous system (PNS) covers all nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. The CNS and PNS therefore functionally form the same system of our nerves and differ only in location.
Within the PNS, a further distinction is made between the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Want to raise your arm and open a Frank Juice? Then you're using your somatic nervous system right now.
Your breathing, on the other hand, is a process of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), because those processes run automatically. Need to digest your veggie stir-fry? No problem, your enteric nervous system (ENS) takes care of it. Got an important presentation in 20 minutes? Can you really relax at a Thai massage? The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems also belong to the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Where are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems located?
The position of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is quickly and easily explained. Just remember the saying: "Relaxation embraces stress". The parasympathetic nervous system, which stands for relaxation and your rest mode, encloses the sympathetic nervous system in the spinal cord, the master of your stress response.
The tasks of the sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system takes over when you're in a stressful situation. Evolutionarily, it exists for fight or flight - a response that is vital for survival. The pupils in your eyes widen, so do the bronchi in your lungs, your heart beats faster, your digestion shuts down, you sweat: your sympathetic nervous system is active!
What are the tasks of the parasympathetic nervous system?
The tasks of the parasympathetic nervous system are easy to remember with this saying: "Rest and digest". As the counterpart of the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for all the opposite responses. When you relax after your presentation, your pupils and bronchi narrow again, your heart rate drops and digestion picks up speed again.
Can the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems be out of balance?
Unfortunately, yes! If you have too much stress in your everyday life and no relaxation techniques to counter it, an imbalance occurs. Chronically raised stress levels can disturb autonomic functions: digestive and heart complaints as well as low blood pressure are typical signs. This is known as autonomic dystonia.
Our conclusion:
So you see how important it is to always keep stress and relaxation in balance! You can only perform well if you take recovery seriously too. We at Frank Juice know that even little things in everyday life can take the stress away. That's why we love our Soups so much: they taste delicious, are full of nutrients, can be taken anywhere and are heated in 3 minutes.
Opposites attract and balance each other out - and so it is with stress and relaxation. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems play a key part in the stress response and in relaxing the body. In today's post you will find out exactly what the tasks of these two parts of our nervous system are and which parts of the body they are connected to.
What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain as the control centre and the spinal cord in the spinal canal of the spine, while the peripheral nervous system (PNS) covers all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. The CNS and PNS therefore form functionally the same system of our nerves and differ only in location.
Within the PNS, a distinction is made between the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Want to lift your arm and open a Frank Juice? Then you are using your somatic nervous system.
Your breathing, on the other hand, is a process of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), because those processes run automatically. Need your stir-fried veg digested? No problem, your enteric nervous system (ENS) takes care of it. Got an important presentation in 20 minutes? Can you truly relax during a Thai massage? The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems also belong to the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Where are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems located?
The position of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is quick and easy to explain. Just remember the saying: "Relaxation embraces stress". The parasympathetic nervous system, which stands for relaxation and your rest mode, wraps around the sympathetic nervous system in the spinal cord, the boss of your stress response.
The tasks of the sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system steps in when you are in a stressful situation. In evolutionary terms it exists for fight or flight - a response vital for survival. The pupils in your eyes widen, so do the bronchial tubes in your lungs, your heart beats faster, your digestion is shut down, you sweat: your sympathetic nervous system is active!
What are the tasks of the parasympathetic nervous system?
The tasks of the parasympathetic nervous system are easy to remember with this saying: "Rest and digest". As the counterpart to the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for all the opposite responses. When you relax after your presentation, your pupils and bronchial tubes narrow again, your heart rate drops and digestion picks up speed again.
Can the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems get out of balance?
Unfortunately, yes! If you have too much stress in everyday life and no relaxation techniques to counter it, an imbalance occurs. Chronically raised stress levels can disrupt autonomic functions: digestive and heart complaints as well as low blood pressure are typical signs. This is known as autonomic dystonia.
Our conclusion:
So you can see how important it is to always keep stress and relaxation in balance! You can only perform well if you take recovery seriously too. We at Frank Juice know that even small things in everyday life can take away stress. That's why we love our Soups so much: they taste delicious, are full of nutrients, can be taken anywhere and are heated within 3 minutes.
