Understanding Your Nervous System

Understanding Your Nervous System: Tuesday 17 November 2026, 19:30, Gram Højskole, Gram. Admission is free.

The body often reacts before we have time to understand what is happening. Worries, changes, sleep problems, or excessive activity levels take their toll on the body - but what can we do to bring the nervous system back into balance?

Neurobiologist Karen Johanne Pallesen draws on the latest knowledge about stress and the autonomic nervous system, explaining how the nervous system constantly works in the background to adapt us to the demands and changes life presents. She explores what happens in the brain and body when stress kicks in, why short-term stress is both natural and necessary, and what occurs when strain persists and the body doesn't get enough time to recover. She also discusses the vagus nerve's role in the body's recovery and the interplay between brain and body.

The lecture is not only about understanding stress, but also about what you can do about it. Karen Johanne translates neurobiology into practical tools, showing how breathing, movement, breaks, sleep, social relationships, and attention can be used to influence the body's physiological state and strengthen its ability to regulate itself.