The Power of the Parasympathetic Nervous System: by Robin Sands, Stress News October 2002 Vol.14 No. 4
“The most important point to remember about stress is that it is literally a nervous reaction. It occurs within the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).” … “The ANS divides into two distinct systems: the ‘Sympathetic’ Nervous System and the ‘Parasympathetic’ Nervous System. To put their functions simply, read ‘stressed-out’ and ‘chilled-out’ respectively.” … “Health and vitality are the natural result of the harmonic interchange between the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic. Unfortunately, in our world this tends to be the exception rather than the rule. In this culture, with all its inherent struggles and strains, people’s Sympathetic systems very often stay on guard, unable to give in to the softer, more gentle flows of the Parasympathetic. And if this condition becomes chronic, it can lead to a whole variety of stress-related symptoms and, later, illnesses.” …”For many people the business world is something of a war zone. A place where dogs eat dogs, and sharks rule the waves. A competitive environment where only the financially fittest survive. This is the jungle that we find ourselves in, trying to sidestep the booby traps and dodge the arrows of misfortune.” … “In their high-flying and sophisticated ways they do not see the simple truth that for a man to work well he must rest well. They do not seem to realize that health requires balance, harmony and equilibrium between body and mind.”
