We’re halfway through the year, and if you’re feeling more frayed than focused—you’re not alone.
Many people experience a midyear dip in energy, mood, and motivation. But if your symptoms include:
- Feeling anxious or “on edge” for no clear reason
- Waking up multiple times a night, or vivid, unrestful dreams
- Fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep
- PMS, irregular cycles, or hot flashes
- A general sense of being wired but tired
…it might not just be stress. It could be your nervous system stuck in survival mode.
Your Body’s Stress Response: More Than Just Mental
Your nervous system controls more than how you feel emotionally. It also regulates digestion, hormone release, energy levels, immune function, and even skin health. When you’re in a constant state of low-grade stress, your autonomic nervous system (specifically the sympathetic branch) stays activated.
This chronic activation:
- Increases cortisol, which can interfere with sleep and hormonal balance
- Suppresses digestion, contributing to bloating, constipation, or gut inflammation
- Dampens reproductive function, contributing to irregular cycles or hot flashes
- Keeps you in a “vigilant” state, where anxiety and insomnia become the norm
Even if you’re not dealing with a major crisis, emails, notifications, long to-do lists, and emotional load can cumulatively keep your body on high alert.
The Midyear Factor
Biologically, we’re wired to respond to seasonal rhythms. In early summer, the longer days and increased light should provide energy—but for many, it just magnifies burnout that’s been quietly building since winter. Add heat, disrupted routines, and social expectations, and you have a perfect storm for nervous system dysregulation.
Common signs this is happening:
- Intense dreams or restless sleep
- Afternoon crashes despite caffeine or sleep
- Mood swings or emotional sensitivity
- Unexplained skin flares or gut issues
- Hormonal imbalances, including cycle changes or worsened PMS
These are physiological cues—your body asking for regulation.
How Acupuncture Helps Reset the Nervous System
Modern research confirms what traditional medicine has long known: acupuncture helps regulate the nervous system by shifting the body from a sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state to a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state.
Here’s how it works:
🔹 Neurochemical release
Acupuncture stimulates the release of calming neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin, which reduce anxiety, stabilize mood, and improve sleep.
🔹 HPA axis modulation
It helps regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system responsible for your body’s stress response, lowering cortisol levels and reducing inflammation.
🔹 Vagal tone enhancement
By stimulating specific points—especially on the ear and abdomen—acupuncture enhances vagal nerve activity, which improves parasympathetic function and supports digestion, sleep, and hormonal balance.
🔹 Hormonal regulation
For patients with PMS, irregular cycles, or perimenopausal symptoms, acupuncture has been shown to influence estrogen and progesterone regulation, reduce cramps and hot flashes, and support smoother transitions.
🔹 Improved sleep architecture
Research shows acupuncture increases slow-wave (deep) sleep, helping the brain and body fully recover each night.
This Is Your Sign to Reset
You don’t need to push through or wait for things to get worse.
If your body has been whispering (or shouting) that something feels off—this is your opportunity to pause, recalibrate, and realign.
At Calm San Diego, our integrative acupuncture sessions are designed to help you reconnect with your body, support your nervous system, and restore balance—gently and effectively.
👉 Book your acupuncture session today
It’s not just about feeling better. It’s about healing at the root.
