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Addressing the Issue of Overactive Nervous System Response to Circumstances · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Whenever anything happens in the world, the senses capture the
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  vibrations and send them up the nervous channels to the brain,
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  where they are interpreted and responded to.
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  When the nervous system is sensitive and overly responsive,
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  it may vibrate continuously and not let up.
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  This creates an uncomfortable feeling that makes the
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  individual nervous or jumpy, wound up or overly reactive.
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  This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to calmly view
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  whatever the circumstance is and respond to it calmly and in the
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  most effective manner. This is at some point a closed
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  loop where the individual feels trapped and under pressure and
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  cannot find any way out. The first step to freeing
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  oneself from this over excitement of the nerves is to
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  become aware of it. And then to take steps to
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  distance oneself from it and eventually bring it to a state
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  of quiet or calm. The separation of the witness
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  consciousness from the external being is a powerful option to
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  accomplish this. There are also specific interim
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  methods that can be employed to aid the seeker in calming the
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  nerves to break the cycle of disturbance.
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  For instance, taking deep breaths, reciting A mantra,
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  concentrating on some other point or issue, spending time in
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  nature, perhaps a forest or along a seashore.
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  Some people find it useful to do hata, yoga, asanas or some form
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  of martial arts, or even just sit quietly, read and drink tea.
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  Whatever works to bring the nervous energy back into balance
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  will help the seeker get to a place where it becomes
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  manageable. Once the seeker works out a
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  procedure that succeeds in calming the nerves, he can begin
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  to develop the insight to hopefully avoid or at least
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  reduce the nervous excitement when future provocations come
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  along. The key is to appreciate that
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  one is not the external personality but the psychic
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  being, the sole entity, so that whatever occurs to the external
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  being is not to be accepted if it interferes with the sadhna.
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  Srioro Bindu observes quote. The main difficulty seems to be
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  that you are too subject to an excitement of the nerves.
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  It is only by bringing quietude and calm into the whole being
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  that a steady progress in the Sadhna can be assured.
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  The first thing to be done in order to recover is to stop
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  yielding to the attack of the nerves.
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  The more you yield and identify yourself with these ideas and
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  feelings, the more they increase.
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  End Quote. Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
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  Mother, looking from Within, Chapter 4.
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  Ordeals and Difficulties, page one O 9.