What My Dog Taught Me About Nervous System Regulation
- Kelsi Gallagher
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
When we hear phrases like "nervous system regulation", "stress", or " interoception", most of us instinctively turn the lens inward. We think about our own bodies, our habits, our own daily stressors... and that makes sense! But what if we widened the frame for a moment? What if we explored these concepts through the eyes (and nervous systems) of our fluffy, four-legged companions instead?
As someone living with Bipolar I, I spend a significant part of my life learning how to regulate myself. Building daily routines that support stability and help keep my moods (relatively) predictable has been essential in learning how to live well with this particular challenge.
One of those routines is walking my pitbull mix, Nel (because she deserves regulation and balance, too!) Over time, I’ve noticed how easily our evening walks can slip into autopilot. I clip on the leash, throw on the nearest pair of slippers, pop in an AirPod, and we take a quick lap around the neighborhood before moving on to the next item on our To-Do list.
But, being Nel’s ‘mom’ has taught me something important about regulation. Before jumping from activity to activity, I need to check in with myself. If I’m not slowing down enough to check in with my body - like noticing the pace of my breath, any tension or tightness in my shoulders, buzzing sensations in my stomach - and stay curious about what I need at that moment, I’m not actually setting myself up for the best experience for either of us.
When I’m not regulated, the walk isn’t really a reset at all. It just becomes another task completed on autopilot and crossed off the list, rather than an experience that supports balance for me or for her.
So now, before our walks begin (even before the leash is clipped on) I sit with Nel and wait for her body to settle down. She’s excited (and rightfully so!). For a dog, a walk must be a sensory wonderland: new smells, strange sounds, squirrels to watch.. But I’ve learned that in order to truly enjoy an experience, there has to be the “right” amount of stress - not too much, not too little.
So we pause together. We sit in silence. I watch as her tail slowly stops thwapping against the floor like a metronome. I notice her eyes soften, drifting down toward the ground instead of tracking my every movement, waiting for me to reach for her leash. I pay attention to her breath and silently run through my checklist: does it begin to slow, or is she still snorting at me like a horse at the gate?
I know this much: if I take her outside when she’s already at a 10, the walk will be a race, not a stroll. She’ll take ME for a walk, lunge at anything that moves, and struggle to take in her surroundings. And that’s not because she’s “bad”. It’s just because she was never given the chance to slow herself down first.
The same goes for us. If we start our workday by jumping out of bed to a blaring alarm (that we absolutely hit snooze on), rushing to get dressed and brush our teeth, sitting in traffic during the morning commute, and then layering a large iced Americano with an extra shot on top of it all, of course our nervous system is already on edge!
By the time the day has truly begun, we’re operating from a state of urgency and overload. And that’s not a personal failure; It’s a nervous system that was never given the chance to settle in the first place.
If you’re curious what it might feel like to give yourself the chance to address stress at the source - before burnout takes over - interoceptive coaching offers a way to learn how to notice these signals sooner and respond with accuracy. Please feel free to check out more on our site regarding interoception, stress modulation, and fine-tuning your stress for sustainable high-performance, resilience and well-being!
Written by Kelsi Gallagher
