Understanding Your Nervous System: Why Breathing Exercises Backfire

Have you ever tried a breathing exercise and felt more anxious? Or maybe you started to get that out-of-body feeling (hello, dissociation) but didn't know how to bring yourself back?

If so, you're not alone—and you're not broken. Your nervous system is actually doing exactly what it's designed to do.

Your Nervous System: Your Personal Security Guard

Our nervous system is a highly intelligent evolutionary mechanism that works tirelessly to keep us alive, even in ways that may not make sense in the moment. It functions by constantly adapting our physiology to our environment so we can respond to different types of threats, whether those threats are real or just perceived as dangerous.

But here's what most people don't realize: not all nervous system responses require the same approach to healing. Using the same coping strategies for every uncomfortable feeling is like trying to eat soup with a fork. Technically possible, but not very effective.

Meet Your Three Nervous System Zones

I want to help you map out what's happening in your body by understanding what's going on internally. Let's dive into Polyvagal theory, which explains that our nervous system operates in three distinct states. I like to think of them as zones:

Ventral Vagal State (Green Zone): This is your window of tolerance, where you feel regulated and safe in your body. Here, you can access a sense of connection to yourself and others.

Sympathetic State (Red Zone): This is hyperarousal, where your sympathetic nervous system remains activated, preparing you for fight or flight responses.

Dorsal Vagal State (Blue Zone): This is hypoarousal, where your parasympathetic nervous system takes over, leading to freeze, fawn, or collapse responses.

When we become dysregulated or feel unsafe, we leave our green zone and enter either the red zone (hyperaroused) or blue zone (hypoaroused), depending on how our individual nervous system typically responds to stress.

Meet Your Three Nervous System Zones

I want to help you map out what's happening in your body by understanding what's going on internally. Let's dive into Polyvagal theory, which explains that our nervous system operates in three distinct states. I like to think of them as zones:

Ventral Vagal State (Green Zone): This is your window of tolerance, where you feel regulated and safe in your body. Here, you can access a sense of connection to yourself and others.

Sympathetic State (Red Zone): This is hyperarousal, where your sympathetic nervous system remains activated, preparing you for fight or flight responses.

Dorsal Vagal State (Blue Zone): This is hypoarousal, where your parasympathetic nervous system takes over, leading to freeze, fawn, or collapse responses.

When we become dysregulated or feel unsafe, we leave our green zone and enter either the red zone (hyperaroused) or blue zone (hypoaroused), depending on how our individual nervous system typically responds to stress.

Understanding Zone Cycling

Here's something important to know: you don't necessarily stay in one zone all day. Many people experience "zone cycling," where they bounce between red and blue zones, sometimes rapidly. You might start the day in red zone (heart racing, mind spinning with anxious thoughts) then crash into blue zone by afternoon, feeling numb and disconnected.

This cycling can happen within hours or even minutes. Someone might experience a panic attack (red zone) and then feel completely shut down and emotionally unavailable afterward (blue zone). This is actually a normal protective response. When the red zone activation becomes too overwhelming, your nervous system may flip into blue zone as a way to escape the intensity.

Understanding this cycling is crucial because it means you might need different strategies throughout the day, or even throughout a single difficult moment as you move between states.

Why Traditional Coping Skills Sometimes Backfire

Before we dive into identifying your zone, let's talk about why that breathing exercise might have made you feel worse. It's not because you're "bad at relaxation" or "doing it wrong." It's because many common coping strategies are designed for a regulated nervous system, not a dysregulated one.

Take box breathing, for example. You know, the 4-4-4-4 method where you inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold for 4. It's recommended everywhere for anxiety and stress. But here's the thing: when your nervous system is already in hyperarousal (red zone), slowing down your breathing can actually signal danger to your body. Your system is revved up and ready for action, and suddenly you're asking it to slow down dramatically. Your body essentially thinks, "Why are we slowing down when there's danger?" This mismatch can trigger even more panic or anxiety.

Similarly, meditation or mindfulness exercises that ask you to "sit with" uncomfortable feelings might be overwhelming when you're in hyperarousal, or they might cause someone in hypoarousal to disconnect even further from their body.

The problem isn't with these techniques themselves. They're valuable tools. The problem is the one-size-fits-all approach that doesn't account for where your nervous system actually is in the moment.

How to Identify Your Current Zone

Here are some clear ways to recognize which zone you're experiencing:

Green Zone (Regulated): You feel logical, curious, reasonable, and focused. Emotions like kindness, patience, gentleness, and peacefulness are accessible.

Red Zone (Hyperaroused): You feel illogical, impulsive, and hyperalert. You might experience rage, panic, and fear.

Blue Zone (Hypoaroused): You feel checked out, isolated, unmotivated, and unable to focus. Numbness, exhaustion, and feeling far away are common.

Zone-Specific Strategies That Actually Work

The key to nervous system regulation is getting back to that green zone—your window of tolerance. But the path back depends entirely on where you're starting from. Here's how to tailor your approach:

For Red Zone (Hyperarousal): Cooling Down an Activated System

When your body is buzzing with too much energy (you're hot, shaky, and your heart might beat out of your chest), you need strategies that help you become calm and centered:

• Deep breathing exercises (the kind that actually work for you)

• Aromatherapy with calming scents like lavender or vanilla

• Meditation or mindfulness practices

• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Listening to classical music or nature sounds

• Placing an ice pack on your neck to activate your vagus nerve and signal safety to your nervous system

• Taking a slow, mindful walk

• Sipping herbal tea like chamomile or passionflower

For Blue Zone (Hypoarousal): Waking Up a Disconnected System

When your body has gone offline and unplugged from your mind (you're cold, feel like you're shrinking, your body feels heavy, or you're experiencing that out-of-body sensation), you need strategies that help you reconnect by gently energizing your system:

• Deep pressure through firm squeezes on arms and legs

• Energizing aromatherapy with citrus or mint scents

• Movement like jumping jacks, push-ups, or dancing

• Holding an ice cube to create sensory input

• Listening to fast, upbeat music

• Physical activity like running or dancing

• Intense tastes like sour candy or spicy cinnamon

The Bottom Line

Understanding your nervous system zones isn't about perfection. It's about having the right tools for the right moment. When you can identify which zone you're in, you can choose strategies that actually match what your body needs rather than fighting against your natural responses.

Remember, there's nothing wrong with spending time in the red or blue zones. These are adaptive responses that have kept humans alive for thousands of years. The goal isn't to stay in the green zone constantly (that's impossible), but to develop the skills to find your way back when you're ready.

Your nervous system is wise, even when it doesn't feel that way. By learning to work with it rather than against it, you can develop a more compassionate and effective relationship with your own stress responses.