The Autonomic Nervous System
(And How to Control It)
What is the Autonomic Nervous System?
The autonomic nervous system controls many of the organs in our body,
including the heart, stomach, and intestine. In most situations, we are not
aware that our nervous system is doing anything because it happens
automatically. However, sometimes we become aware of these organs and the
way our nervous system regulates them, like when we get scared or feel like we
are in danger.
What are the two major parts of the Autonomic Nervous System?
The autonomic nervous system is made up of two major systems or parts that
trigger different responses in your body:
• The “fight or flight” response
• The “rest and digest” response
The “fight or flight” response:
Your “fight or flight” response is an automatic physical reaction that happens
in your body when you feel scared or think you are in danger.
Example: It is a nice, sunny day and you are taking a walk in the park.
Suddenly, an angry bear appears in your path! Do you stay and fight or do you
run away?
In a situation like this, your heart beats faster and you get ready to protect
yourself. You are not likely to want to eat when you body is telling you to “fight
or flight.”
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The “rest and digest” response:
Your “rest and digest” response is an automatic physical reaction that happens
in your body when you feel safe and calm.
Example: It is a nice, sunny day and you are taking a walk in the park. This time
there is no bear, and you decide to relax and enjoy the warm sunshine.
In a situation like this, your “rest and digest” response is activated. You heart
beats slower and you can have a fun time without worrying. You may feel
hungry too.
“Fight or flight” vs. “Rest and digest”: How they work
Response Situation Our body’s reaction
“Fight or flight” Emergency, danger, • Heart beats faster
stress, fear, or anxiety • Digestion slows
• Pupils get bigger
• Breathing gets
faster
“Rest and digest” Non-emergency, calm • Heart beats slower
• Digestion is
normal
• Pupils get smaller
• Breathing is
slower and deeper
Why should I learn relaxation exercises?
Sometimes our “fight or flight” nervous system takes over even when it is not
needed. Things in our environment can cause us to be scared or anxious. When
this happens, our body may give us the message that we are in danger when we
really are not.
We can learn to change our body’s response back to “rest and digest” through
relaxation exercises. This skill is something that has been used in India and the
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Far East for centuries and is incorporated into some forms of yoga, meditation,
and martial arts.
Relaxation exercises teach us to:
• Prevent or stop the “fight or flight” response
• Return our body to a state of “rest and digest”
The Autonomic Nervous System Diagram
“Fight or Flight “Rest and Digest”
© 2022 Innovasium Cam’s Kids
How do I get my body to “rest and digest”?
We recommend three main ways to get your body to relax.
1) Take deep breaths: Deep breathing is the key to relaxation. Be sure to
not breathe too fast though, or you might feel dizzy.
• Steps for deep breathing (repeat 3 times):
o Slowly breathe in through your nose, filling your lungs
completely. (Tip: If you place your hand or a piece of paper
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on your stomach, you should notice it lifting when you
breathe in; this means you are using your diaphragm.)
o Hold your breath in for 5 seconds.
o Slowly blow out through your mouth. (Tip: Pretend you are
blowing through a straw, an instrument, or blowing out a
candle.)
o Relax for 10 seconds before taking the next breath.
2) Tighten and relax your muscles: We divide the body into eight muscle
groups. You will tense and relax each group twice, as follows:
• Steps for tightening and relaxing your muscles (repeat 2 times):
o Tense as tight as you can for 5 seconds.
o Relax muscles for 10 seconds.
• Muscle groups:
o Face (forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth, neck)
o One arm (make a fist)
o Other arm
o Shoulders, chest, and back (push chest out, bring should
blades back toward each other)
o Stomach (pull in)
o Buttocks (squeeze)
o One leg (point toes toward nose)
o Other leg
3) Imagine something you like: This is a fun part!
• Choose a place or activity that you really enjoy.
• Some examples that other kids have chosen include: the beach, a
bubble bath, lying in a field, walking in a magical forest, playing
basketball, riding a bike, rollerblading, riding a horse, playing with a
dog, and taking a trip to outer space.
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• You can keep the same image each time you practice or you can
change the image whenever you want. Don’t worry if you lose focus;
just try to get back to your image.
• Once you have chosen an image of a place or activity that you enjoy,
notice the following:
o Circumstances – Who is with you, where are you, when is
it?
o Sights – What can you see ahead, to the right, to the
left…etc.?
o Sounds – Can you hear voices, the wind, waves, birds…etc.?
o Feels – Can you feel the warm sand or sun, water, breeze in
your hair…etc.?
o Smells – Can you smell flowers, cooking, coffee, candles
burning…etc.?
o Tastes – Can you taste a peach, chocolate, snowflake…etc.?
How do I use my new skill?
You may need to have your parents help you with this. Once you can take three
deep breaths and imagine a favorite place or activity, we will look at the times
when you are usually become upset, worried, or stressed. Then we will have you
practice using your new skills before those things happen or as soon as you
start to notice you are getting upset so that you can help your body relax.
Remember: This is a skill that you will need to practice. Expect that there will
be times when you need to practice again/more intensely.
How do I keep track of how I’m doing?
It helps to write down how relaxed you get when you practice your relaxation
techniques. Below is an easy way to do this.
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0 3 5 8 10
Very relaxed, Relaxed Neither relaxed Scared, tense Very scared,
almost asleep nor tense tense
Your name: _____________________ Week beginning:_______________________
Day Time Place How relaxed were How relaxed Comments
you before you were you after
practiced? (0-10) you practiced?
(0-10)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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Sunday
Disclaimer: This document contains information and/or instructional materials developed by
University of Michigan Health for the typical patient with your condition. It may include links to
online content that was not created by U-M Health and for which U-M Health does not assume
responsibility. It does not replace medical advice from your health care provider because your
experience may differ from that of the typical patient. Talk to your health care provider if you
have any questions about this document, your condition or your treatment plan.
Patient Education by University of Michigan Health is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License. Last Revised: 12/2022
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