Melani Schweder: The Four Wise Efforts for Nervous System Healing

I am deeply grateful for this blog post originally shared by Mel, a lovely and wise woman who is part of the women's sangha that I too have been participating in for many months now. We have been immersed in these teachings and others over the past year as women from our 20s to 70s meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at Portland Insight Meditation Center. This gathering is drop in and all who identify as women are welcome. And I adore our teacher, Alexa Redner. (https://www.portlandinsight.org/weeklygroups) In so many ways, the women's sangha has been such a rich part of my journey. And while rooted in Buddhism, it is my belief that the Four Wise Efforts described in this post hold the potential to be useful, helpful and healing, and empowering for anyone. Deepest bow of gratitude to Mel and to Alexa and to all that facilitates our awakening and growing into the sacred wholeness of who we most truly are. 💜Molly

Hi friends,

In my weekly women’s sangha, we’ve been spending time exploring the Four Wise Efforts. And like with most of these ancient teachings, I’ve noticed just how perfectly it fits with all the brain retraining principles and practices in the modern mindbody recovery space. I’ve been wanting to write about it for a few weeks now, so thank you to our wonderful group and our teacher, Alexa Redner, for inspiring this post.

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If you’ve ever been told to “just think positive,” “try harder,” or “stay disciplined” on your healing journey- and felt exhausted just hearing that- you’re not alone. Many people recovering from chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, OCD, and other nervous-system-driven conditions already feel like they’ve been trying too hard for too long.

This is where Buddhist wisdom offers something refreshingly different.

In Buddhism, effort is not about forcing, fixing, or fighting yourself. In fact, the Buddha warned against exactly that. Instead, the Four Wise Efforts (sometimes called the Four Right Efforts) teach us how to relate to our inner world with discernment, kindness, and just enough intention to support healing- without burning ourselves out.

When we pair this ancient framework with modern neuroscience, especially what we now understand about neuroplasticity and the nervous system, the Four Wise Efforts become a surprisingly practical guide for recovery.

Let’s walk through them together.

First Wise Effort: Prevent Unhelpful States From Arising

In Buddhist terms:

Prevent unwholesome mental states that have not yet arisen.

In recovery terms:
Reduce unnecessary triggers that activate your threat system.

This effort isn’t about controlling every thought or avoiding life. It’s about setting up conditions for safety- something your nervous system desperately needs if you’ve been stuck in chronic symptoms.

From a neuroscience perspective, chronic pain and anxiety often involve an overactive threat detection system. The brain is scanning constantly for danger, even when you’re objectively safe. Every time we flood ourselves with alarming information, harsh self-talk, or constant symptom monitoring, we unknowingly train the brain to stay on high alert.

This first effort invites gentle prevention:

• Limiting doom-scrolling or excessive symptom research
• Reducing exposure to people or conversations that reinforce fear
• Creating small daily rituals that signal safety (music, warm light, familiar routines)

This isn’t avoidance- it’s strategic nervous system care. You’re not hiding from life; you’re giving your brain fewer false alarms to process.

This isn’t avoidance- it’s strategic nervous system care. You’re not hiding from life; you’re giving your brain fewer false alarms to process.

Think of it as clearing clutter from the runway before trying to land the plane.

Second Wise Effort: Let Go of Unhelpful States That Have Arisen

In Buddhist terms:

Abandon unwholesome mental states that have already arisen.

In recovery terms:
Change how you relate to fear, pain, and anxiety when they show up.

This is where many people get stuck. We assume that healing means making symptoms disappear. But neuroscience tells us something counterintuitive: what keeps symptoms alive is often the resistance to them, not their presence.

When fear or pain arises, the instinct is to:

• Fix it
• Analyze it
• Fight it
• Judge ourselves for having it

Unfortunately, this signals danger to the brain, reinforcing the very circuits we’re trying to calm.

The Second Wise Effort is not about suppression. It’s about letting go of the struggle.

Practically, this might look like:

• Noticing fear and saying, "Oh, you're here again."
• Allowing sensations without the story (like we practice with somatic tracking)
• Redirecting attention without urgency
• Practicing self-talk that communicates safety rather than alarm

From a neuroplasticity lens, this is powerful. Each time you meet symptoms with neutrality or kindness, you weaken the fear-symptom loop and strengthen pathways of regulation.

You’re teaching the brain: “This isn’t an emergency.”

Third Wise Effort: Cultivate Helpful States That Have Not Yet Arisen

In Buddhist terms:
Develop wholesome mental states that are not yet present.

In recovery terms:
Actively grow safety, pleasure, meaning, and connection.

This effort is often misunderstood as “positive thinking.” It’s not. It’s positive conditioning.

Modern neuroscience shows that the brain changes through experience, repetition, and emotional salience. If your life has been dominated by pain or anxiety, your brain may simply be out of practice experiencing ease, joy, or curiosity.

This effort invites you to gently reintroduce these states:

• Moments of pleasure (even tiny ones)
• Activities aligned with your values
• Music, creativity, nature, humor
• Social connection that feels safe and authentic

Importantly, these don’t have to feel amazing to “count.” They just have to be non-threatening and repeated.

Think of this as physical therapy for the nervous system. You’re not running a marathon; you’re rebuilding trust, one small rep at a time.

Fourth Wise Effort: Sustain and Strengthen Helpful States

In Buddhist terms:
Maintain and deepen wholesome mental states once they arise.

In recovery terms:
Let good moments land.

This may be the most overlooked- and most powerful- effort of all.

Many people in recovery unconsciously rush past moments of relief or ease:

• "Don't get your hopes up."
• "It won't last."
• "This doesn't mean anything."
  

But from a brain-based perspective, what you dwell on is what wires in.

Sustaining helpful states doesn’t mean clinging or forcing positivity. It means:

• Pausing to notice safety
• Lingering a few extra seconds in relief
• Letting the body register calm or pleasure
• Reflecting on moments of progress without immediately minimizing them
• Savoring a recent memory of joy, connection, or ease

Buddhism understood this long before brain scans existed: attention is a form of nourishment.

So, don’t rush past the good stuff.

Wise Effort Is Not Hard Effort

Here’s the most important reframe for anyone healing chronic conditions:

Wise effort is not more effort. It’s better effort.

It’s effort guided by compassion, timing, and nervous system reality- not fear or self-criticism.

Some days, wise effort looks like gentle engagement.
Some days, it looks like rest.
Some days, it looks like laughing at how seriously we’ve been taking everything.

And that’s okay.

Recovery is not a straight line, and the Four Wise Efforts were never meant to be a checklist. They’re a living framework- one that honors both ancient wisdom and modern science, effort and ease, discipline and kindness.

Here’s to finding that balance, my friends.

xo, Mel

Certified Health Coach, Reiki Master/Teacher, and Pain Reprocessing Therapy Practitioner

Come connect with me on Instagram and Insight Timer

Please go here for the original blog post and more from Mel Schweder: https://www.abrighterwild.com/blog/the-four-wise-efforts-for-nervous-system-healing