Why Giggling is the Ultimate Nervous System Flex

I didn’t know what was happening at first. It started like a panic attack, but then it felt different. Maybe even good.

The first time it happened, I was sitting in the passenger seat of my boyfriend’s SUV. Leaned back with my feet up, half asleep. Gazing out the window at the mountains passing by, enjoying the music.

I felt his hand tighten slightly around mine as he casually adjusted his position. It jolted me back to reality. I squeezed his hand tightly, gasping as I sat straight up and looked around in a panic.

I didn’t know where we were. I didn’t know what time it was, how fast we were going, or if we had enough gas to get to the next town. I wasn’t paying attention to anything.

It only took a moment to ground myself and remember I was safe.

I didn’t have words for it at the time, but I was experiencing the absence of hypervigilance.

For the first time in my life, in my mid-forties, my nervous system felt safe. Safe enough to relax. Safe enough to let go of control so completely that I forgot where I was.

It wasn’t something I chose. It wasn’t a conscious effort. It just happened without my knowing — without my consent. My nervous system just decided it was safe and let all the walls crash to the ground.