3 Daily Nervous System Practices to Start Feeling Calm Again
If you’ve been feeling tired, tense, or emotionally drained, your body might be trying to tell you something: it’s not broken; it’s overwhelmed.
These days, our bodies are constantly flooded with stimulation: phones buzzing, endless emails, and a brain that never gets quiet. Over time, that level of activation can keep your nervous system stuck in “on” mode. Even when you’re resting, your body doesn’t fully believe it’s safe.
The good news is, your body can relearn calm. It’s built for balance; it just needs practice. With a few simple nervous system regulation tools, you can start helping your body feel grounded again, one day at a time.
In “What Is Nervous System Regulation & Why Is It Important? ” published on PositivePsychology.com, psychologist Jessica Beer, Ph.D., explains that daily practices like deep breathing, mindfulness, and yoga are scientifically shown to calm the body’s stress response and improve emotional resilience. For example, slow breathing techniques of fewer than six breaths per minute were found to increase heart rate variability, a key marker of nervous system health, while consistent mindfulness and physical activity lower cortisol and reduce anxiety, helping restore the body’s natural rhythm of calm and safety.
Understanding Your Nervous System and Why It Feels So Tired
Think of your nervous system as your body’s communication hub. It’s in charge of everything from your heartbeat to how you respond when someone cuts you off in traffic.
It has two main branches:
Sympathetic nervous system: your “fight, flight, or freeze” mode. It helps you handle pressure or danger, but keeps you tense if it’s constantly active.
Parasympathetic nervous system: your “rest and digest” mode. This is where healing, digestion, and relaxation happen.
When your life is filled with chronic stress, the sympathetic system tends to take over. You might notice signs like:
Tight shoulders or jaw
Racing thoughts
Shallow breathing
Trouble sleeping
Irritability or emotional fatigue
Your body forgets how to downshift. That’s why using nervous system regulation tools daily is so important; they teach your body how to find calm again, even in a busy world.
Why Nervous System Regulation Matters for Mental Health
When your nervous system is dysregulated, it can affect almost everything: your mood, your focus, your digestion, and even your energy levels.
You might feel like you’re always “on edge,” or that it takes very little to send you into overwhelm. Sometimes clients tell me, “I’m never really relaxed, even when I’m doing nothing.”
That constant tension keeps stress hormones high and prevents your brain and body from resting. Regulating your nervous system helps:
Lower cortisol (your stress hormone)
Improve sleep and digestion
Reduce anxiety and panic symptoms
Boost emotional resilience
Help you respond instead of react
It’s not about forcing yourself to calm down. It’s about reminding your body what calm actually feels like and permitting it to stay there.
Practice 1: Grounding Through Breath Awareness
Your breath is your built-in reset button. It’s one of the simplest yet most powerful nervous system regulation tools because it works instantly.
When you’re anxious or stressed, your breath gets shallow and fast. This signals danger to your brain. Slowing your breath down flips the switch in the other direction, signaling safety instead.
Here’s a quick grounding exercise I often teach clients:
Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground.
Inhale through your nose for a count of four.
Hold that breath gently for one count.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for six counts.
Repeat for one to two minutes.
As you do this, focus on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body. Notice your shoulders softening, your jaw unclenching. Imagine your breath as a wave, gently washing stress out with every exhale.
Practice 2: Body Scanning and Physical Release
Most of us carry tension without realizing it. The shoulders that live up near your ears? The clenched jaw? That’s your nervous system trying to hold things together.
Body scanning helps you notice where your body is holding stress so you can release it. It’s awareness first, then gentle release, not force.
Here’s how to do it:
Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath.
Bring your attention to your toes, then slowly move up through your legs, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and face.
Notice sensations: tightness, tingling, heaviness, or warmth.
Wherever you feel tension, breathe into that area. Imagine it softening just a little.
This practice helps reconnect you to your body, especially if you tend to live in your head. Over time, it teaches your body that it’s safe to relax.
I tell clients often: If you can’t feel your body, you can’t fully regulate it. Body scanning is how you start rebuilding that connection.
Practice 3: Creating Safety Through Daily Grounding Rituals
Your nervous system loves consistency. Simple, repeated cues of safety remind your body that the world isn’t always dangerous. That’s why daily grounding rituals are so powerful; they create predictable moments of calm your body can rely on.
Here are a few I often suggest:
Temperature grounding: Hold a warm mug of tea, take a cool shower, or run warm water over your hands. Your body uses temperature shifts as safety cues.
Nature breaks: Step outside. Feel your feet on the ground, notice the air on your skin, and listen for natural sounds. Even a few minutes outside helps reset your system.
Rhythmic movement: Try slow walking, stretching, or gentle yoga. Rhythmic motion balances your breath and heart rate.
Morning or evening check-ins: Take one minute to ask, “What does my body need today? ”Maybe it’s rest, water, or quiet. Listening builds trust between you and your body.
How to Tell Your Nervous System Is Regulating
When you start using nervous system regulation tools regularly, the changes are often subtle at first. You might notice:
You breathe deeper without thinking about it.
Stressful moments feel more manageable.
You sleep better or wake up feeling more rested.
You feel more present in your body instead of living “in your head.”
The process takes time. Just like any muscle, regulation builds with practice. You don’t have to do it perfectly. The goal is to remind your body what peace feels like, a little bit each day.
Quick Nervous System Regulation Tools You Can Use Anytime
Even on the busiest days, you can create micro-moments of calm. Try these anytime you feel overwhelmed:
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding: Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.
Butterfly hug: Cross your arms and tap your shoulders gently, alternating sides. This bilateral tapping calms the body and reduces anxiety.
Long exhales: Focus on making your exhale longer than your inhale. This simple trick activates your body’s relaxation response.
Gentle movement: Stand up, stretch, or shake out your hands. Even 30 seconds of movement helps release stress hormones.
You can use these anywhere at your desk, in traffic, or lying in bed at night. Each time you do, your body learns that it’s safe to come back to calm.
Start Small, Feel the Difference
Healing your nervous system isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing small things with awareness. Every breath you slow, every moment you notice your body, is a signal of safety.
Over time, those signals add up. You’ll notice yourself feeling more grounded, less reactive, and more present.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to practice. Because your body is listening.
And if you need help figuring out where to start, that’s exactly what we do here at Integrative Healthcare Alliance. We help you connect the dots between your symptoms, your stress, and what your body’s been trying to tell you all along.
FAQs
1. What nervous system helps you calm down?
Your parasympathetic nervous system helps you recover from stress. It slows your heart rate, deepens your breathing, and restores balance.
2. How can I trigger calm in my nervous system?
Try slow breathing, grounding exercises, or gentle movement. These techniques send your brain a clear message: “We’re safe now.”
3. How can I calm my somatic nervous system?
Deep breathing, stretching, and body scanning help release physical tension and teach your body to relax.
4. How can I regulate my nervous system again?
Consistency is key. Daily habits like mindful breathing, time in nature, and using nervous system regulation tools help restore calm over time.
5. What helps calm nerves immediately?
Take long exhales, splash cool water on your face, or focus on what you can see and touch. These quick resets help your body return to safety.
