The Sabbath & Your Nervous System
I frequently encountered posts about “nervous system regulation,” a concept whose wellness implications remained unclear to me-until now. My perspective shifted when I viewed it through the lens of faith and incorporated the Sabbath.
Let us work through this together:
Your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is like the alarm system. This part triggers when your body perceives stress or danger, much like a home alarm system activated by a potential threat. It’s protective and necessary in emergencies, but when it stays on all the time, it drains your energy and peace.
Your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is the reset button. This helps your body to unwind, recover, and feel safe. This is like the “reset button or home mode” that engages when things settle down. It lowers the lights, starts soft music, and assists in relaxation. This is the place of restoration—improved sleep, healthy digestion, a slower heartbeat, and a sense of safety for your soul and spirit.
The Sabbath is where you’ll find balance between the two.
It is like purposefully switching your home back to “reset mode.”It is not about disconnecting completely, it is about stepping out of grind mode, being fully present in a space where your mind, body, and spirit can breathe and be with God.
Science now confirms what Scripture has always said: Rest rejuvenates. Stillness heals. Being Present matters.
The Sabbath is not about legalism or fulfilling religious obligations. Even Jesus was charged with being “unlawful” for doing good works on the Sabbath. The essence was never about rules—it was about presence.
Keeping the Sabbath is about regulating your nervous system in a world that constantly demands more. It is about creating space for peace and letting rest be an act of worship and recovery.
In God’s creation, rest is holy. Holy does not mean perfect—it means set apart. A place where you meet God in stillness.
With rest and peace,
Darline
