My 5 Favorite Ways to Regulate My Nervous System:
Do you notice when you are getting hyper-aroused or activated or dysregulated? Maybe you received an upsetting email or phone call or you feel like there more on your plate than you have time and resources to manage. Or it may be that you are really excited about something and the excitement is dysregulating. For me, I know I’m dysregulated when my mind is spinning. Sometimes it’s hard to sit still and hard to focus. If I’m upset, I might be having an imaginary conversation in my head to rebut whatever it is that upset me. My body either doesn’t feel comfortable, or I feel completely disconnected from my body.
Noticing that you’re dysregulated is the first step in being able to change what’s happening. Your body is in some version of the fight or flight response. Your brain senses a threat and your body is being flooded with stress hormones. While those hormones are helpful in certain settings, we don’t want them flooding our bodies all the time (that leads to all sorts of health issues in addition to just not feeling that good). So, once you notice the fight or flight response, you can actively take steps to re-regulate your nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. In addition to the physiologic benefits of getting back to a regulated state, being grounded and calm is a much better place from which to respond appropriately to the dysregulating situation.
1. Get Outside! My favorite and most effective way to re-regulate my nervous system is to get outside. I usually go for a walk if I can. Moving my body and connecting to nature are really powerful ways for me to reset. Often I find that once I get outside, whatever was causing me to feel so activated diminishes in intensity or importance, or sometimes while I’m walking I have insight into a way to manage the situation that feels right to me. I do want to note that sometimes when I am super activated and I start to walk, I’m still in my head. I’m not noticing anything around me and I’m walking fast which matches the way my mind is going. So, if you notice that you’re still in your head, you can slow down your pace intentionally and start to explore your senses… what do you see, what sounds do you notice, how does your body feel, how does the ground feel? Nature and our connection to nature is powerful medicine!
2. Shaking or dance… If outside isn’t an option but I still want to use movement, then I’ll either shake out my body or have an impromptu dance party. Shaking is an energy medicine tool that helps to discharge or dispel the energy. You can start by shaking out your hands and arms and then allow the shaking to spread into your whole body. A few minutes does wonders. And the vigorous movement also gets our heart beating faster and our blood flowing and may help release endorphins… all of which help us feel better! (And if shaking seems strange to you, just put on your favorite music and move your body!)
3. Calming breath: Using our breath is an amazing tool that is almost always accessible. I often use the 4-7-8 breath (inhale for a count of 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8) because it was part of my training in the Andrew Weil fellowship but any breathing practice where the exhale is longer than the inhale will aid you in calming down and help regulate your nervous system (for example, inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 8 or inhale for 2 and exhale for 4…whatever number feels good in your body, the important thing is that the exhale is longer than the inhale and that you’re paying attention!) Often, I’ll use a breathing technique like the 4-7-8 breath for 3 or 4 breaths and then take a few deep breaths and see how I feel. Maybe that’s enough or maybe I need to repeat it.
4. Journaling: sometimes writing is the key to slowing down. Sometimes though if I start to journal about the situation that is upsetting me, I remain upset. (Not always, it may be beneficial to you to write about the situation but just notice whether your journaling is helping to calm you or not. If not, switch topics.) Often, journaling about something I’m grateful for or something that was meaningful for me or something that I learned can help me reset.
5. Guided meditation: I like short guided meditations to help me. A body scan especially can help me get back in my body and to a calmer space. My favorite meditation app is insight timer but use whatever works for you.
These are tools that I use day to day. I also want to be clear that some situations are much bigger and really deserve help from a qualified professional so that you can regulate your nervous system safely and heal.
