What Is Your Environment Telling Your Nervous System?

Your surroundings are constantly providing information to your nervous system. Some things in your environment may increase tension, discomfort, or a sense of threat. Others may help you feel safer, calmer, more comfortable, or more settled.

This audit can help you notice both.

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Choose an Environment

Choose one environment to audit. This might be your bedroom, living room, workplace, classroom, favorite coffee shop, or somewhere else you spend time. Do the audit while you are in that environment so you can notice how you respond to it in the moment.

Spend a few minutes looking and listening to what is around you and noticing what happens inside you in response. Pay attention to things that seem to increase

• tension
• discomfort
• or a sense of threat

Also pay attention to things that help you feel

• safer
• calmer
• or more comfortable.

You aren’t trying to make everything perfect. You’re simply learning what your nervous system seems to respond to and identifying small changes that might reduce threat signals or strengthen signals of safety or comfort.

What to Notice

You don’t need to consider everything on this list. Use it for ideas about what you might pay attention to.

Sound: volume, sudden noises, background noise, voices, music

Light: brightness, overhead lighting, natural light, shadows

People: number of people, proximity, movement, privacy

Position: ability to see entrances or exits, people behind you, feeling exposed or protected

Physical comfort: temperature, seating, textures

Sensory environment: smells, visual clutter, movement

Familiarity and predictability: knowing what to expect, familiar objects or routines

Positive signals: things you enjoy seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or having around you

What I notice around me:	What I notice within myself:	What would I like to improve or strengthen?	Something I could try:

Example

What I notice around me:	What I notice within myself:	What would I like to improve or strengthen?	Something I could try:
People walking behind me	I feel a need to keep checking behind me	Feel less exposed	Sit with my back to a wall
Soft light from the window	My body feels more relaxed	Have more of this kind of light	Try to sit closer to the window when possible
Lots of visual clutter	I have trouble settling/focusing	Reduce visual stimulation	Clear the area directly in front of me

You might notice something that seems to increase tension or discomfort. You might also notice something that is already helping you feel safer or more comfortable. Both are useful information.

Try One Change

You don’t need to redesign your entire environment. Choose one manageable change that might reduce a threat signal or strengthen a signal of safety or comfort. After you make the change, notice whether anything shifts.