Polyvagal Ladder
Your nervous system has three big states. They aren't moods — they're modes. Knowing which rung you're on is the first move toward the next one.
Tap a rung to see what's happening — and what helps
None of these are "good" or "bad" — each rung is your body doing a job. The goal isn't to live at the top; it's to know where you are and how to move.
Why a ladder
The states aren't separate boxes — you climb and slide between them all day. Sympathetic sits between safe and shutdown because the system usually mobilises (fight/flight) before it gives up (shutdown).Where it comes from
The polyvagal ladder is Deb Dana's clinical adaptation of Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory. It's used widely in trauma-informed and somatic therapy as a map for nervous system states.Nothing you tap here is saved or sent anywhere. This page is free to use and share — therapists often send it to clients between sessions.