Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers.
Both the control and effects of the parasympathetic nervous system are regulated by your body’s needs.
Your parasympathetic nervous system is often described as promoting your body’s rest-and-digest state.
Illustration by Mira Norian for Verywell Health
The body requires constant functioning and adjustment of both of these systems.
How to Activate the Parasympathetic Response
Your parasympathetic response is normally constantly working to keep you healthy.
Most of the time, it is active and engaged.
You usually stimulate your parasympathetic response simply by relaxing and resting.
Dysregulated Parasympathetic Nervous System Symptoms
Some medical conditions are associated with dysregulation of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Many mental health and physical health disorders can involve fluctuations of symptoms that involve the autonomic nervous system.
It runs from the brainstem down to branch into the throat, heart, lungs, and digestive system.
