An Environmental Audit: Your Environment’s Message to Your Nervous System

(Summary) Your surroundings constantly provide information to your nervous system, and sometimes your body responds to that information before you consciously recognize what is bothering you. Noise, lighting, unpredictable movement, where you sit, or even having people behind you can contribute to a sense of threat, while other environmental features may help you feel safer and more comfortable. An environmental audit can help you identify these patterns and find practical ways to reduce unnecessary threat signals and increase the safety signals available in your surroundings.

I imagine few people have taken the time to do an audit of their environment. I think survivors of complex childhood trauma might find this a helpful activity to do.

What is an environmental audit?

An environmental audit might sound stressful or involved, but it’s really not. You can do a quick audit or you can use the resource I’ve prepared to do a more thorough audit. Either way, what you are doing is paying attention to the environment around you and noticing how it affects you. As you do this, you pay particular attention to aspects of the environment you are able to strengthen or minimize as appropriate. For instance, a comfortable room might feel cozy and safe when you light a scented candle. Or you may realize that the overhead lighting in the room is too intense; when you switch to a lamp on the end table, your body becomes less tense.

Why it matters

What people experience as comforting or distressing is individual to them and based on the experiences they have had in their lives. For instance, Jayden and Lex are in a busy coffee shop. Jayden begins to feel anxious without knowing why. However, Lex is relaxed and enjoying the atmosphere.

An example

When Jayden pays attention to their experience in the coffee shop, they become aware that their nervous system is registering:

• noise
• people behind them
• unpredictable movements
• people blocking the exit

And so on. Jayden now understands why they started feeling anxious after taking a seat. With awareness of how the environment is affecting their nervous system, they may be able to change aspects of their experience. For instance, they might move to a seat against a wall. Now, no one is behind them. If they get really lucky, they may find a seat against a wall and closer to the exit. And Jayden remembers they have noise canceling headphones in their backpack. When they put them on, they feel their anxiety decreasing a bit.

Improving your environment

You can learn more about how to notice when aspects of your environment send threat signals to your nervous system and how to increase safety signals in the mini-course that is part of the free membership. Links to this and the audit resource are in the description.

Related Resource

⭐ Environmental Audit

Frequently Asked Questions

How can your environment affect your nervous system?

Your nervous system takes in information from your surroundings and uses it to assess safety and possible threat. Features such as noise, lighting, movement, crowds, seating position, and access to exits may therefore affect how settled or activated you feel.

What is an environmental audit for trauma?

An environmental audit involves intentionally noticing how different aspects of your surroundings affect you. You can identify features that seem to increase tension or distress, as well as features that help your body feel more comfortable or safe.

Why do I feel anxious in some places without knowing why?

Your nervous system may be responding to environmental information you haven’t consciously identified. For example, noise, unpredictable movement, people behind you, or difficulty seeing or reaching an exit might contribute to anxiety without immediately attracting your conscious attention.

Why can the same environment feel safe to one person and unsafe to another?

People’s nervous systems have different learning histories. An environmental feature that one person finds comforting or neutral may be associated with discomfort or threat for someone else.

How can I make my environment feel safer after trauma?

Start by noticing which aspects of your environment seem to increase or decrease tension. Sometimes relatively small changes—using softer lighting, reducing noise, changing where you sit, or increasing predictability—can reduce threat signals or add signals of safety.

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