"Regulate your nervous system" is everywhere online. But what does it actually mean, and how do you do it? Here's a plain-language guide.
Your nervous system in one minute
Your autonomic nervous system runs in the background. One branch, the sympathetic system, prepares you for action — fight or flight. Another, the parasympathetic system, helps you rest, digest and connect. When you face a threat, you might also freeze. All of these are healthy responses. Problems start when your body gets stuck in one of them long after the danger has passed.
Signs you may be dysregulated
- Feeling wired but tired
- Trouble falling or staying asleep (try breathwork for sleep)
- Overreacting to small things, or feeling numb
- Shallow, fast breathing, a tight jaw or shoulders
Body-based ways to regulate
- Slow your exhale. Breathing out longer than you breathe in is one of the fastest ways to calm down. Box breathing and the physiological sigh (see breathwork vs meditation) are good places to start.
- Orient. Slowly look around the room and name five things you see. This tells your body you're safe.
- Move. Shaking, walking or dancing lets activation leave the body — see the benefits of ecstatic dance.
- Safe touch. A hand on your chest, a hug or somatic bodywork can bring a deep sense of safety.
- Pendulate. Move attention between a tense area and a comfortable one — a core somatic skill explained in resourcing, titration and pendulation.
Regulation is a practice
You don't regulate once and stay calm forever. You build capacity, like a muscle. Short daily practice works better than a big session once a month. The self-paced 21-Day Holosomatic® Activation Program is designed exactly for that: a guided daily breath and body practice at home.
If you have a history of trauma, work with a qualified professional. And if you'd like to help others regulate, our facilitator trainings teach trauma-informed tools step by step. The science behind them is on our research page.
