The Autonomic Seesaw
Balance activation and recovery instead of driving one side harder
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
The Autonomic Seesaw models the nervous system as two necessary sides: sympathetic activation, associated with fight-or-flight, and parasympathetic activity, associated with rest, digestion and calm. The goal is not to eliminate activation or maximize passivity; it is to regain enough regulation that both sides can operate appropriately. Many high-intensity people respond to stress by adding harder training or more stimulation, pushing the already dominant side further. Cole reframes breathwork and somatic stillness as a nervous-system workout that strengthens the neglected capacity. The practical loop is to notice chronic activation, identify behaviors that compound it, add a repeatable recovery-side practice, and judge progress by greater flexibility and resilience rather than by performing the practice perfectly.
Origin
Dr. Will Cole used a seesaw analogy to explain sympathetic and parasympathetic balance during the interview.
Core principles
- 01Activation and recovery are both necessary
- 02Chronic sympathetic dominance reduces balance
- 03Stillness trains a capacity rather than wasting time
- 04More intensity is not always the answer
- 05Use repeatable practices to strengthen regulation
How to run it
- 1
Read the seesaw
Notice whether daily life is dominated by urgency, intensity and fight-or-flight activation. Also note whether recovery feels inaccessible.
Pro tip Look for patterns across ordinary days, not only during acute stress.
Watch out Symptoms can have many causes; do not diagnose nervous-system dysfunction from this model alone.
- 2
Find compounding inputs
Identify workouts, workload, stimulation or habits that repeatedly add activation. Distinguish useful challenges from automatic overdrive.
Pro tip Ask whether an activity leaves you more flexible afterward or simply more depleted.
Watch out Do not conclude that all vigorous exercise or ambition is harmful.
- 3
Train the quieter side
Choose a tolerable breathwork, meditation or somatic stillness practice. Perform it as training for regulation rather than as a test of talent.
Pro tip Begin with a duration small enough to repeat consistently.
Watch out More advanced breathwork may require skilled guidance and may not suit everyone.
- 4
Practice without perfection
When distraction appears, return to the practice without labeling it failure. Repetition is the workout.
Pro tip Measure attendance, not whether your mind became perfectly quiet.
Watch out Self-criticism can turn a recovery practice into another stressor.
- 5
Assess flexibility
Review whether you can move more readily between focused activation and genuine rest. Adjust the practice based on that functional result.
Pro tip Look for gradual changes in recovery and responsiveness rather than dramatic sessions.
Watch out Seek qualified help when severe anxiety, depression or physical symptoms persist.
In the wild
A person notices that every difficult week leads to even harder workouts while quiet practices are avoided. They keep appropriate exercise but add a brief, repeatable breath practice after work. Instead of rating each session by calmness, they track whether they can transition into the evening with less urgency.
→ Recovery becomes a trained capacity alongside performance rather than an afterthought.
Common mistakes
Trying to eliminate activation
The aim is flexible balance, not permanent calm or the removal of the useful sympathetic response.
Calling distraction failure
Difficulty with stillness is a reason to practice gently, not evidence that practice is impossible.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for people who default to intense action and neglect deliberate recovery practices.
Not ideal for
It is not a diagnostic tool or a replacement for care for persistent physical or mental-health symptoms.
From the transcript
“we have this sort of seesaw effect of the autonomic nervous system most people are overactive and sympathetic and under active in the parasympathetic”
“it's a nervous system workout in a many in many ways”
“the yin and the Yang they're both important super important and it's you don't want to forget the other”
From the episode
Episode 227: Dr. Will Cole: How to Heal Shame-flammation
Dr. Will Cole