The Cost of Always Being “On” - Part 2 Hypervigilance
Are you constantly planning an escape route from the place you are in, ya know, ‘just in case?’
How do you feel about sitting in a restaurant with your back to the door?
Do you feel seen by these questions? If so, you are not alone.
Hypervigilance is the state of always being ready to respond. Your nervous system is always engaged, and the engine is idling high. Most often, this is a response to trauma or PTSD, at least in the general public. For first responders, it is a normal state of being while on shift. We are always “on” at work and, if not addressed, at home as well.
When our bodies are always in fight-or-flight mode, our adrenal glands pump adrenaline and cortisol to keep us ready to act when needed. The adrenaline causes your pupils to dilate, increases blood flow to the muscle, triggers the liver to use stored glycogen to make glucose, shunts blood from the skin to vital organs, and increases your heart rate and respiration. Cortisol signals the liver to release glucose (fuel for muscles), temporarily reduces inflammation, and regulates metabolism. When in fight-or-flight, your body is an engine spooled up, waiting for the flag to drop (or the lights to go out).
What happens if the release never comes and you stay in high idle mode?
The body becomes accustomed to high cortisol levels and, as with long-term steroid use, this can weaken the immune system. Your blood pressure remains high with a slightly elevated heart rate. You feel fatigued more often than not. Sleep doesn’t help. Your body never rests.
Those are severe consequences of being in fight-or-flight mode. This hypervigilance does not always have to be a high idle state. In first responders, we can see little things, like always having to plan an escape route from the building. Your brain thinks it could encounter danger, so it wants a plan. You look around, find the exits, maybe find the closest fire extinguisher, and plan a way out if you need one.
And you don’t like having your back to any business entrances. This is again a way to see who is coming or going. You, likely unconsciously, want to give every person a threat assessment. You need to know the potential threats entering the same room as you.
How can we relax when we don’t even know that we are doing all of this in the first place?
First, recognize that you are being hypervigilant. You will start to see how hypervigilance shows up for you, and then you can take action. The easiest way to regulate your state is through muscle relaxation.
Find a comfortable position: sitting, standing, or lying down.
Start at the top of your head and move downward.
Is your jaw tense? Relax it
Neck tense? Relax it
Shoulders?
Upper back
Arms
Hands
Abdomen
Lower Back
Pelvis
Buttocks
Hips
Upper legs
Lower Legs
Feet
Toes
Now go back to the top of your head and start again.
Muscle relaxation is the easiest way to stay out of fight-or-flight mode. You can do this anytime, anywhere. The more you practice muscle relaxation, the more you will be aware when you are holding tension. Whenever you notice tension in your muscles, relax. It is difficult to be in a fight-or-flight state while in a relaxed muscle state.
If you’re a firefighter, paramedic, or law enforcement officer in Orlando looking for support, I offer therapy specifically for first responders.
