Mastering your body’s stress signals

How does polyvagal theory explain our arousal states? Which self‑regulation techniques restore balance? How can habits and journaling support emotional fitness?

Understanding the polyvagal theory and why it matters

Polyvagal Theory, pioneered by Dr Stephen Porges, reveals how our autonomic nervous system (ANS) shifts between three states that shape how we feel, think, and relate. It attempts to explain how we navigate safety and threat through three states:

1. Ventral Vagal (relaxed/ optimal): This is when we feel safe, socially connected and able to think clearly.
2. Sympathetic (mobilized/ hyperarousal): In this state, we gear up to fight, flee, or fawn in response to perceived danger.
3. Dorsal Vagal (immobilized/ hypoarousal): Here, we shut down or freeze when overwhelm is extreme.

Understanding these states gives us vocabulary for our body’s signals. By naming these states and observing their physiological markers e.g. accelerated heartbeat for sympathetic, sluggishness for dorsal, we gain the language to intervene early and respond with intention and calm.

Repeated exposure to racism, microaggressions, and social exclusion impacts more than our psychological states. These experiences impact your physiology which make sympathetic or dorsal shifts happen sooner and more often. Research on immigrants and minority groups links discrimination and acculturative stress to increased anxiety and depression. These factors that narrow the “window” in which we can manage stress well. Recognising how social context narrow your window is the first step to protecting it.

For example, Alex, a Black Australian community organiser, felt his heart race and palms sweat before a public speech. This is a classic sympathetic/ mobilisation response (aka fight or flight response). Rather than retreating, he engaged in “ventral‑vagal” co‑regulation where he shared a calm smile with a teammate and mirrored their slow breathing. This simple social cue activated his ventral vagal pathway, helping him reclaim composure and connect authentically with his audience.

Practical and culturally grounded self‑regulation strategies

When you can spot your ANS state, it is easier to employ targeted strategies to help restore balance. Incorporating culturally responsive practices such as music, movement, or rituals from your heritage help soothe your nervous system and reinforce safety in your identity. Here are a few 60-second strategies to attempt:

ANS state	Strategy	Why it helps
If you are mobilised/ hyperaroused (sympathetic)	Move to discharge Stand up and shake each limb to release built‑up tension or dance	This practice is rooted in trauma‑aware movement therapies. Incorporating stretching, dances or traditional movements help promote ventral vagal engagement thus reconnecting with the body. Movement is one method of discharging tension, metabolising the stress hormone from the body and influencing heart-rate variability.
If you are immobilised/ hypoaroused (dorsal vagal)	Activate your senses gently Inhale a comforting scent (e.g. incense) or take a sip of Rooibos or Ketepa tea or taste some spices or play some Amapiano whilst tapping your feet.	This practice helps reduce the immobilised state because brief, familiar exteroceptive input raises physiological arousal and engages brainstem and limbic circuits that reconnect the body to the present moment.
To maintain or return to relaxed/ optimal state (ventral vagal)	Socially connect Share a tea/ coffee or host a small gathering with friends who understand and accept all facets of who you are	Sharing tea or small gatherings foster safety and helps maintain the relaxed state. Gentle and intentional social rituals like sharing tea and deep and meaningful conversations, provide the sensory cues e.g. soft voice, paced breathing, warm eye contact, that signal safety and co-regulation. This increases parasympathetic activity (relaxed state) which supports calm, connection and cognitive engagement.

Practising these techniques daily, proactively expands your window of tolerance and cultivate resilience that honours your body, heritage and identities. You can start with a simple routine. For example, start your mornings with a grounding gentle stretch whilst listening to some soothing Amapiano. You can close the day with a gratitude journal entry.

Building emotional fitness through habitual journaling

Journaling cements self‑regulation habits by turning fleeting sensations into structured reflection. Several peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses show that expressive writing and journaling can help with emotional regulation. Culturally tailored journaling shows promise in some groups but results are mixed. Journaling may be helpful when it is adapted to reflect someone’s culture by using prompts or examples that match their background. Additionally, the transformative power of habit and journaling lies in consistency and personal relevance.

Take for example, Leila, a Kenyan‑Australian dentist, faced unpredictable waves of anxiety followed by crashes of exhaustion. Determined to reclaim her emotional rhythm, she used the Getting Started Mental Health Care Package journal prompts to create a daily reflective practice. For example:

Time	Trigger	Sensation	Technique	Outcome
Morning	Woke feeling unrested	Heavy chest	5‑minute body scan and deep breathing	Calm focus
Mid‑afternoon	Email criticism	Racing thoughts	Afrocentric music break	Gentle smile and slowed breath
Evening	Family Zoom call	Numbness	Ketepa tea & stretch	Warmth and alert

Within two weeks, Leila’s journal revealed patterns that indicate late‑afternoon inbox checks triggered a hyperarousal state. Armed with this insight, she scheduled brief dance break in the privacy of her office. She also replaced her usual sugar snack with Ketepa tea which activated her senses and soothed her ANS fluctuations. Over a month, these habits rewired her responses. She proactively noticed stress before it spiralled. This became a cue for self‑care rather than shutdown.ed her perspective with clarity and deepened her sense of self‑advocacy and belonging in the workplace.

Take the next step

Practical steps you can use today

1. Learn the three states and name the sensation
2. Use the relevant strategy that matches your current ANS state
3. Build tiny daily habits like journaling to notice and respond to patterns over the next two weeks.

Take control of your stress signals and cultivate emotional fitness within a culturally safe framework.  Subscribe to the Getting Started Mental Health Care Package today and unlock:

• In‑depth polyvagal insights with cultural adaptations
• Self‑regulation worksheets infused with heritage practices
• Habit‑forming journaling templates celebrating Black and African experiences
• Access to community‑based support and guided prompts

Follow us on our social platforms – Instagram, YouTube and Facebook @tabvumamentalhealth and subscribe to our mental health care packages for tips, resources and culturally safe mental health support designed for you.

Until next time,

Tabvuma Mental Health