Why Nervous System Regulation is the Missing Link in Preventative Medicine

By Jamie Bussin, Featuring Dr. Colleen Hartwick ND

I wouldn’t describe myself as laid back. No one ever has. I live with intensity. I move fast. I push. For years, I told myself I was simply high-functioning. Productive. Driven.

But lately, I’ve realized something uncomfortable: what I once thought was just my personality is actually commonplace in modern life. The constant notifications. The doom scrolling. Multitasking. The caregiving on both ends for those of us in the “sandwich generation.” The chronic sleep disruption. The caffeine-fueled push to get one more task done.

The question isn’t whether this is normal. The question is whether this is optimal. And increasingly, the science of the autonomic nervous system suggests it’s not. I discussed this phenomenon with naturopath, Dr. Colleen Hartwick ND, in Episode #426 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast. This is a digest of that conversation.

Understanding the Autonomic (Automatic) Nervous System

When we talk about nervous system regulation, we’re not speaking metaphorically. We’re referring to two measurable, research-backed branches of the autonomic nervous system:

• The sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight)
• The parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, and repair) 

The sympathetic nervous system is about survival. When we perceive a threat, real or imagined, our body releases stress hormones like adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. Blood pressure rises. Blood sugar increases. We mobilize energy. This is adaptive and lifesaving in acute danger.

The parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite. It slows us down. It allows for tissue repair, digestion, reproductive health, immune balance, and restorative sleep.

The problem isn’t that we have a stress response.

The problem is that many of us are living there.

What Nervous System Dysregulation Looks Like

In clinical practice, dysregulation often shows up in high-achieving, Type A individuals. People living on adrenaline. On cortisol. On caffeine. They sacrifice sleep. They rely on convenience food. They skip exercise. They push through.

The signs are familiar:

• Feeling “wired but tired”
• Irritability and a shorter fuse
• A sense of overwhelm
• Poor sleep
• Fatigue despite constant stimulation
• Dependence on caffeine to function 

This is sympathetic dominance; the inability to toggle back into parasympathetic repair mode. Unfortunately, it’s common, and it’s not ideal.

Stress, Inflammation, and the Vicious Cycle

Chronic sympathetic activation doesn’t just make us feel anxious. It changes our physiology. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can activate inflammatory pathways in the immune system. That may contribute to:

• Worsening allergies
• Development of new sensitivities
• Autoimmune flare-ups
• Broader inflammatory conditions 

Inflammation itself becomes another stressor. When the body is inflamed—figuratively “on fire”—the stress response activates again to try to contain the damage. But those same stress hormones can further fuel inflammation.

This creates a vicious cycle:

Stress → Inflammation → More Stress → More Inflammation

Nervous system regulation, therefore, isn’t about spa-day calm. It’s about interrupting that loop. It’s preventative medicine.

Supplements as Support, Not Shortcuts

When people feel fried, they often want a quick fix. But nervous system regulation is the long game. It’s about building flexibility, aka the ability to move into stress when appropriate and back into recovery when the threat passes.

Certain nutrients can support this flexibility:

Magnesium

Magnesium helps with physical relaxation and appears to temper the stress response. Adequate levels are associated with lower cortisol output in response to stress.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can attenuate cortisol release. Individuals with sufficient intake tend to show a less dramatic stress hormone surge.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Found in flax seeds, chia seeds, and fatty fish, omega-3s help reduce inflammation. Lower inflammation means fewer physiologic stress signals.

L-Theanine

An amino acid found in green tea, L-theanine promotes relaxation by stimulating GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter associated with calm and restorative sleep. Emerging evidence suggests it may reduce signaling along the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis—our long-term stress system.

None of these are magic bullets. They are tools.

Vagus Nerve Activation: Trend or Truth?

There’s no shortage of social media content on “vagus nerve resets.” Humming. Gargling. Tapping. Singing. Yoga. Laughter. Breathwork. Even cold plunges.

Is it hype?

No. The science is real.

The vagus nerve is strongly associated with parasympathetic activation. Activities that stimulate the respiratory and digestive systems – humming, gargling, singing, slow breathing can directly influence vagal tone.

Cold plunging, interestingly, is different. While it has benefits, it initially activates the sympathetic nervous system. It’s a stressor. That doesn’t make it bad, but it’s not primarily a calming intervention.

The key is understanding the goal: increasing your capacity to return to parasympathetic safety and repair. So, these practices are not panaceas. They won’t undo chronic sleep deprivation or a diet of ultra-processed foods. They are part of a larger system.

It’s Not Just About Feeling Calm

Reducing chronic stress impacts more than mood. A well-regulated nervous system influences:

• Inflammation modulation
• Metabolic function
• Blood sugar stability
• Reproductive health
• Exercise recovery
• Immune resilience 

If you’re “wired but tired,” that may feel normal. It may be familiar. But it is not optimal.

Breathwork alone won’t fix poor hydration. Meditation won’t compensate for unstable blood glucose. Supplements won’t override dysfunctional relationships.

Everything is interconnected.

Nutrition stabilizes blood sugar. Stable blood sugar reduces physiologic stress. Exercise helps dissipate stress energy and improves sleep. Sleep restores hormonal balance and emotional regulation. Emotional regulation improves relationships. Relationships affect stress resilience.

It’s a circle. Preventative medicine isn’t about one hack. It’s about tending the whole system.

Nervous System Regulation is the Long Game

Nervous system regulation is not “one and done.” You don’t hum once and eliminate stress forever. You don’t take magnesium and transcend modern life.

You build a toolkit. You expand your flexibility. You increase your capacity to move out of survival mode more often than you used to.

Calm is not a permanent state. Just as happiness isn’t. The goal is not to chase calm endlessly. The goal is to access it reliably.

The modern world isn’t slowing down. Notifications won’t stop. Deadlines won’t disappear. Many of us will continue caregiving across generations.

But we can choose not to live exclusively in fight-or-flight.

We can nourish our bodies with adequate nutrients.
We can stabilize blood sugar.
We can hydrate.
We can move our bodies.
We can prioritize sleep.
We can stimulate the vagus nerve intentionally.
We can examine the quality of our relationships.

This isn’t biohacking hype. It’s physiology.

And in a culture that rewards intensity, perhaps the most radical preventative medicine is learning how to toggle back into repair. Not once, but consistently.