Leaders with Poor (CNS) Hygiene Stink

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One of the most famous temples from the Ancient world is the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. Above the entrance is the following inscription: 

Γνῶθι σαυτόν

In English this simply means, ”know thy self.” What we are talking about today is a little known truth about yourself that will affect you every day of your life. Knowing the contents of today’s message could set even the most troubled among us free, so read on.. if you dare.  

In short, you have (and every person you’ve met has) an operating system deep inside your brainstem that:

• Has a sole purpose of keeping you alive, and

• Is working perfectly. 

This system is called your Central Nervous System (CNS) and it’s incredibly old. It’s so old that other, more advanced parts of your brain, including but not limited to your ability to reason and think critically cannot override this foundational system. 

The Central Nervous System is a main character in all of your emotions, actions, thoughts, and behaviors. Read that again. Your CNS is the culprit behind your mood and all your behaviors, including the ones you aren’t proud of. 

If you’re going to try this “know thy self” business, you might want to start with knowing your CNS. 

Consider thinking about your CNS (and everyone you’ve ever met) as a ladder. This ladder has three sections. Each section has ten rungs. The three sections from top to bottom have a name:

• Ventral 
• Sympathetic
• Dorsal

As you read this sentence, your state can be described as a specific rung on this ladder. Imagine what power you’d have if you knew both where you are and how to change your place on the ladder! Here’s what the sections mean:

• VENTRAL: this is a place of abundance, safety, openness, and creativity. Living beings expressing the Ventral state experience enough safety to enjoy play, joy, and freedom of thought. 

• SYMPATHETIC: this is a state of action. It’s most known as the zone where the “fight or flight” response occurs. Those in the Sympathetic state are experiencing a certain level of arousal that is in response to threat. It’s in this state the breathing elevates, eyes dilate, focus narrows, and we experience stress. Extreme instances of this state are manifested as being in physical danger (from a robber or, formerly, a sabertooth tiger). Mild expressions of this state can be a growing email inbox, for example. 

• DORSAL: this is a state of apathy, depression, and even suicidal ideation. Individuals in this state are often dissociated and stressed into a state of lifelessness. It’s like when an animal plays dead. While it seems bleak, you may be able to find beauty in the evolutionary fact that our CNS is so good at caring for us that it will shut down our senses to protect us from pain in extreme danger. 

Two key questions emerge from here:

• Where are you now?

• What does your system need to move up the ladder?

This ladder framework is a critical step towards your improved self-awareness. We like to call how you manage your place on the ladder as CNS Hygiene. Part of what makes having great CNS Hygiene is knowing what your system needs to feel regulated and ultimately spend more time up the ladder.

TAKE ACTION:

1. AUDIT. Draw your ladder. Label the rungs on the top Ventral section from 10 to 1 (top to bottom). Label the rungs in the middle Sympathetic section from 1 to 10 (top to bottom) and label the bottom Dorsal section from 1 to 10 (top to bottom). Orient yourself in this moment.
2. PRACTICE. Call upon CNS Hygiene habits that bring regulation to your Central Nervous System (like breathwork, exercise, solitude or human connection, bodywork, etc). Soon you’ll narrow down both more awareness to your current state and how to shift it.