Train Your Nervous System To Overcome Your Chronic Pain

Treatment or Training? A Different Perspective On Healing

When it comes to chronic pain and emotional dysregulation, the default approach often revolves around “treatment.” But for those of us working deeply with the nervous system, treatment can feel inadequate. Real progress doesn’t come from passivity – it comes from nervous system training, an active, consistent practice that builds capacity and resilience.

By reframing healing as training, we can shift the narrative from one of helplessness to one of empowerment. In this approach, you’re not waiting for a solution to be handed to you – you’re working for it, putting in the effort, and reaping the rewards. This mindset mirrors the commitment and accountability we understand in other forms of training, like muscle building or fitness routines.

The best part? Nervous system training eliminates the possibility of adopting a victim mindset, a pattern that often arises when we view healing as something done to us rather than something we actively engage with and shape.

Key Principles of Nervous System Training

The nervous system is incredibly adaptable. Thanks to neuroplasticity, it has the ability to rewire itself when given the right inputs. But these changes don’t happen automatically—they require deliberate and repeated practice. Nervous system training works because it leverages this adaptability, gradually teaching the body and mind to respond differently to stress, pain, and triggers. Below are the 3 Key Principles of Nervous System Training.

1. Repetition Builds Resilience

Just like training a muscle, training the nervous system requires consistent practice. Every time you use tools like breathwork or somatic movement, you’re strengthening neural pathways that support regulation.

2. Small Steps Lead to Big Changes

Nervous system training isn’t about dramatic shifts overnight. It’s about small, daily efforts that accumulate into lasting transformation.

3. Progress Is Measured by Capacity, Not Symptoms

The goal isn’t to eliminate symptoms overnight but to expand your capacity to handle life’s challenges with greater ease and resilience.

The Problem with the Treatment Mindset

When healing is framed as treatment, it often fosters a passive role. People feel like they’re handing over responsibility to a practitioner or method, and when results don’t come, frustration sets in.

• Passivity: Clients wait to be “fixed” rather than actively engaging in their own healing.

• External Blame: When treatment fails, the fault is placed on the provider or the method, not the client.

• Helplessness: Without results, people feel stuck and powerless to make progress on their own.

This mindset can lead to a victim mentality, where individuals feel as if their healing is out of their control and dependent on external factors. In contrast, nervous system training demands active participation. It reframes healing as something you do, not something that’s done to you.

Training Creates Accountability

Here’s where the analogy to muscle and fitness training becomes powerful: when someone trains and doesn’t see results, they don’t blame their gym or coach. Instead, they understand that results depend on their effort – their consistency, their discipline, their choices.

This same mindset applies to nervous system training. If you’re not seeing progress, it’s not because the method is broken; it’s because the work requires your commitment. Society naturally supports this accountability in the context of training – we praise those who commit to physical training and achieve results. Nervous system training invites us to bring that same sense of ownership and effort to our healing journey.

By embracing training rather than treatment, we automatically let go of the victim mindset. Instead of seeing ourselves as passive recipients, we see ourselves as active agents in our healing. We are responsible for the time and effort we put in, and we recognize that this work has a direct impact on the outcomes we experience.

What Does Nervous System Training Look Like?

Training the nervous system is a practical, hands-on process. It involves building skills, practicing them regularly, and learning how to respond differently to stressors over time.

1. Daily Practices

Nervous system training involves regular exercises that strengthen regulation, such as:

Breathwork drills: Practicing controlled breathing to anchor the nervous system.

Somatic movement: Using gentle movement to discharge excess energy.

Emotional check-ins: Observing emotions and bodily sensations to build awareness.

2. Progressive Challenges

Much like physical training, nervous system training works best when you gradually increase the challenge. This might mean moving from guided meditations to self-directed practices or exploring more triggering situations with greater confidence.

3. Tracking Progress

In training, progress isn’t just about the absence of symptoms—it’s about noticing improvements in regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. Clients are encouraged to track their experiences, celebrating even small wins along the way.

Reframing Healing Through Training

When clients embrace nervous system training, they take ownership of their healing journey. They begin to see themselves not as victims of their circumstances but as active participants in their growth.

Treatment Mindset	Training Mindset
Passive: “Fix me.”	Active: “I’m building skills.”
Focused on symptom elimination	Focused on building capacity
Blames external factors for failure	Owns the effort and results

How We Support Nervous System Training

At the heart of our coaching is a commitment to empowering you through training. We guide you to:

Understand the Process: Learn how nervous system training builds resilience over time and why consistent effort is essential.

Practice Daily Reps: Healing becomes a habit when you integrate small practices like breathwork and somatic movement into your daily life.

Focus on Capacity, Not Symptoms: Success isn’t about erasing every symptom; it’s about expanding your ability to handle life with greater ease and regulation.

Celebrate Progress: We encourage you to acknowledge every small win, building momentum and motivation for the long journey ahead.

The Power of Nervous System Training

Healing your nervous system (and so, by proxy chronic pain and other chronic conditions) is a skill – and it’s one you can train. By shifting your mindset from passive treatment to active training, you reclaim your power and responsibility. Nervous system training isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up, putting in the work, and building a life of resilience and freedom.