9 Pillars of good mental, emotional and spiritual health

1. Sleep - when the nervous system is dysregulated we can’t have restful sleep. 

2. (Sun)light - This one is a MUST. But when my system was overwhelmed I was allergic to the sun. You heard it correctly, I used to react badly to sun exposure. Thankfully I can now enjoy sunshine again. ☀️ 😎

3. Exercise - when the nervous system is dysregulated we struggle to discern what type of exercise is good for us. Or we over exercise making our dysregulation even worse. Or we struggle to implement an exercise routine and stick to it long term. I have worked with plenty of clients who had hardcore exercise routines, but it was all done from a place of dysregulation and they eventually crashed. This was my case too. 

4. Stress Regulation - YES! 

5. Relationships (Incl. To Self) - YES! Human beings are social creatures. We cannot exist in a vacuum. Polyvagal theory illustrates this beautifully, check Dr Porges’ work @polyvagalinstitute 

6. Nutrients (Quantity, Quality, Timing)-YES! And to know what nutrients are best for you and what to take and when, you need to be in touch with your own body. Otherwise you will simply follow random external advice that might not be the best choice for you. 

7. Oral Health & Gut Microbiome - An important piece of the puzzle. 

8. Spiritual Grounding - A must! The moment I started putting God first everything became purposeful and deeper healing started to happen. 

9. Purpose/Mission(s)- For me personally, this came from honouring and wanting to put God first. I was already helping many people with my work, but without God I always felt an emptiness inside. Healing trauma was key in discovering my spirituality. I was self-reliant out of fear. Now I can rely on God out of love. 

I saw the original list at the Andrew’s page @hubermanlab I have always been an avid student of health and holistics. But with a history of developmental trauma, it wasn’t until I discovered somatics that I could finally start to embody the list above. 
I know this is similar for many of you. You have tried great advice that didn’t work, but it was because nervous system regulation & trauma work have been missing. I see you!