Do you know how to read your state? You may be asking yourself, “What does “state” even mean?”

“State” is commonly referred to when describing the condition of our nervous system. Reading our state involves engaging with our body’s cues, breath, the tension in our muscles, heart rate, and gut feeling. Do you know what happens in your body when you are stressed? Even before the wild stories start rolling in our heads, our breath and heart rate increase, palms start to sweat and our chest, gut, and shoulders tighten. This is a result of our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) activating the fight or flight mode. The SNS is vital to keep us alert, alive, focused, and ready to act. However, if we can’t turn it off through rest and recovery, the SNS runs in overdrive, leading to anxiety, fatigue, sleep issues, digestive issues, and cognitive impairment.