10 Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System
The nervous system plays a crucial role in how we respond to stress and manage our emotions. Getting to educate folks at Fig Therapy in Charlotte, NC about their nervous system is some of my most favorite work. You’re getting to learn the language your body speaks in and the wisdom housed there is invaluable and quite honestly life changing. When your nervous system is dysregulated, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. (I’m guessing you know these experiences well…) Learning to regulate your nervous system can improve your mental and physical health, enhance emotional resilience, and foster a greater sense of well-being. (Yes please!)
Here are ten effective strategies to help you regulate your nervous system:
1. Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a simple yet powerful way to calm your nervous system. Practice slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. A popular technique is the 4-7-8 breathing method: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation. If that technique feels like too much, you can start with simply noticing your breath. Are you breathing quickly or jerky? Do you want to take a deeper breath, but you can’t? Notice that. By just noticing your breathing patterns, you’re bringing compassionate awareness to yourself and that can often help your nervous system move to a little bit more calmness.
2. Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation involve focusing your attention on the present moment without judgment. These practices can help reduce stress and anxiety by promoting a state of calm and relaxation. Start with short sessions of 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the duration. Apps like Headspace, Calm, and To Be Magnetic offer guided meditations that can be helpful you. If you want to practice mindfulness on your own, try going outside and taking a walk….only go about 50% slower than your normally walk. Notice how your body does at this slower pace, notice plants, colors, sounds, etc. Lots of people find they don’t even realize it but they’ve sped back up. This is totally normal (we humans love to rush) and when you do notice you’re going at your typical fast pace, just slow back down and take it from there.
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) involves tensing and then slowly releasing each muscle group in your body. This technique helps reduce physical tension and promotes relaxation. Begin with your toes and work your way up to your head, tensing each muscle group for a few seconds before releasing.
4. Consistent Exercise and Movement
Physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural stress relievers. Activities like walking, running, yoga, and dancing can help regulate your nervous system. Check in with yourself and make sure that you’re engaging in movement that you actually like, not movement that you tell yourself you should like. As a therapist who works with folks who have struggles with food and body image, coming into a mindful and compassionate relationship with exercise and movement might take some time and trial and error. Also remember, something is better than nothing. If all you can do in this season is walk your dog, amazing! Start there.
5. Good Sleep Hygeine
Quality sleep is crucial for nervous system regulation. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Establish a regular sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Create a relaxing bedtime routine and ensure your sleep environment is comfortable and free of distractions. I’m not going to tell you to keep your phone out of your room because let’s not set ourselves up for unrealistic expectations, I will just tell you that it’s so, so important to do prioritize good sleep. When I’m getting to know a new client, I always ask about sleep because of how critical it is for nervous system regulation and overall mental-health.
6. Prioritizing Nourishing Foods and Nutrition
Nutrition plays a significant role in nervous system health. Your nervous system needs nourishing foods to help you stay regulated and engage in your life in a way that feels good for you. Eating nourishing foods that fuel you and your brain is oh so important. I am not a nutritionist so I’m not going to give food advice here. My two favorite nutritionists to follow that provide such great wisdom and also talk in depth about diet culture and intuitive eating are Dylan Murphy and Meredith Renshaw. Be sure to follow them on instagram. Also it might be helpful to know that if we ever do work together therapeutically and we realize your relationship with food could use some additional care and support, I often recommend adding a nutritionist to your treatment team.
7. Social Connection
Strong social connections can help buffer stress and improve nervous system regulation. Spend time with friends and family, join social groups, or participate in community activities. I could talk about this for a long, long time…did you know I specialize in friendships so really deep diving the importance of friendships is something I could easily give a TED talk on at a moments notice. To keep things brief, I’ll share this: I call friends who are good for your nervous system Exhale Friends because there’s this felt sense when you’re with good, safe trusted friends you can be fully yourself with where your body feels like it can fully exhale and you can melt into the relationship. No masks, no people pleasing, no holding your breath. It’s pretty magical and gosh are your exhale friends medicine for your nervous system. (Shameless plug: if you want something that’s both fun and deep to do with your friends next time you hang out, play the Friendship Deck together! It’s a conversation game I created for more intimacy and stronger connection with your friends)
8. Grounding Techniques
Grounding techniques help you stay connected to the present moment, especially during times of anxiety or distress. One effective grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method: identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This technique helps divert your focus from negative thoughts and bring you back to the present. You can also go really simple and just find something your eyes like to look at in your room or out of your window. I often look at the trees outside of my window. Slowly notice the shapes, colors, textures as a way of resourcing your nervous system and helping you come back into your window of tolerance.
9. Visualization
Visualization involves creating a mental image of a peaceful and calming place or situation. Close your eyes and imagine a place for you that feels good, calm, and grounding. Maybe it’s a serene beach, a tranquil forest, or any other place where you feel safe and relaxed. Engage all your senses in the visualization to make it as vivid as possible. Visualization can help reduce stress and promote a sense of calm.
10. Holistic and Integrative Therapy
Holistic psychotherapy that holds the all of you - the emotional, the physical, the mental, the spiritual can help regulate the nervous system because it incorporates the fullness of who you are. Everything is interconnected. So when you care for one part of you, you can care for all parts of you. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is effective for processing traumatic experiences and helping them move out of your body and also takes up less space in your mind. Somatic experiencing (SE) focuses on helping you be with the story your body is telling and the sensations that are happening there in titrated ways. SE offers you new experiences to be with your own body and nervous system in expansive ways. The more you can be in your body, the more you can be with your emotions. The good news is I’m trained in both of these and bring EMDR and Somatic Experiencing into my therapeutic work.
Regulating your nervous system is essential for maintaining mental and physical well-being. By incorporating one or some of these strategies into your daily routine, you can better manage stress, reduce anxiety, and enhance your overall quality of life. Remember that everyone is different, so it may take some time to find the techniques that work best for you. Be patient with yourself and start small!
If you or someone are struggling with feeling dysregulated more often than not and you need support, consider reaching out to Fig Holistic Psychotherapy in Charlotte. Helping you be more comfortable in your own body is some of the richest and most rewarding work of therapy. Reach out to schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consult to learn more about somatic therapy and how it can help you.