If you’ve ever felt like your body is stuck in overdrive, or like you’re completely shut down, you’re not alone. Many people live with a nervous system that feels out of balance, especially during stressful times. You might notice racing thoughts, tension in your chest, trouble sleeping, or even moments when you feel frozen or disconnected.
Learning how to regulate your nervous system means helping your body and brain feel safe again. When your nervous system is calm, it’s easier to think clearly, feel more grounded, and respond with peace instead of panic. The good news? There are simple, everyday techniques that can help.
In this article, I’ll walk you through gentle ways to soothe your nervous system and bring yourself back into balance—no fancy tools or special skills needed. Let’s start with the basics so you can feel more in control and more like yourself again.
What Does It Mean to Regulate Your Nervous System?
Your autonomic nervous system is like the control center for your body. It helps you handle stress, stay alert, rest, and feel calm. When you’re scared, angry, or overwhelmed, your sympathetic nervous system can go into “fight or flight” mode. When you feel safe and relaxed, your parasympathetic nervous system shifts your body into “rest and digest” mode. Nervous system regulation means learning how to help your body move back into that calm state when it feels stuck in stress.
There are two main parts of the nervous system that work together. The sympathetic system speeds you up when you’re in danger; it’s what makes your heart race or your muscles tense. The parasympathetic system helps you slow down and recover after stress. Both are important, but we want to make sure they stay balanced. If one takes over too often, it can lead to nervous system dysregulation and make it hard to feel steady.
When your nervous system is regulated, you feel more in control of your body and your emotions. You might still feel stress and anxiety, but you can move through it without feeling stuck or overwhelmed. That’s why learning how to regulate the nervous system can be so helpful; it teaches your body that it’s safe again, even when life feels hard.
Signs Your Nervous System Might Be Dysregulated
When your central nervous system is out of balance, you might feel “off” without knowing why. Some people feel restless, anxious, or like they’re always on edge. Others feel the opposite, numb, spaced out, or like they can’t focus. You may even switch between these feelings without warning. These are signs that your body is stuck in a stressful situation and is having trouble calming down.
You might also notice changes in your sleep, appetite, or energy. Maybe it’s hard to fall asleep even when you’re tired. Or maybe you feel completely drained, even after resting. You might snap at people more easily, cry over small things, or have trouble enjoying the things you usually love. These are all normal signs of a dysregulated nervous system trying to protect you from chronic stress.
Ask yourself: Do I feel safe and steady in my body most of the time? If the answer is no, it might be a sign your nervous system needs some extra care. The good news is that with relaxation tools, mindfulness, and gentle breathing exercises, your body can learn how to reduce stress and feel safe again—and that’s what we’ll talk about next.
Simple Techniques to Regulate Your Nervous System
When your nervous system feels out of balance, you don’t need anything fancy to help. The key is learning how to find your calm body. That’s what Somatic Quieting helps with: calming the nervous system through the mind-body connection. These simple regulation techniques can be practiced almost anywhere, whether you’re at home, at work, or in a moment of stress.
Somatic Quieting doesn’t judge your body’s response; it honors it. When anxiety shows up, your body is simply trying to protect you from a perceived stressor. These exercises help you slow down, tune into body sensations, and gently guide your nervous system into a calmer state. They support your mental and physical health by helping to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
1. The Rag Doll Somatic Quieting Technique
This technique helps you let go of built-up tension by imagining your body fully relaxing. First, find a comfortable position to sit in. Close your eyes and simply notice where you feel tightness. It could be your shoulders, your chest, or even your eyebrows, places where stress hormones often show up.
Now, imagine that all your muscles are connected to a switch. When you’re ready, “flip the switch off.” Picture your body softening, melting into the chair or gently slumping forward like a rag doll. As your muscles release, your heart rate may slow and your vagus nerve may activate, helping your body shift into its rest-and-digest mode. Pay attention to how your body feels. You might need to flip that switch more than once. That’s okay. Just notice the change with kindness and no judgment.
2. The Scanner Somatic Quieting Technique
In this one, you’ll use your imagination to scan and calm your body, kind of like a grocery store laser. Sit in a quiet space and close your eyes. Imagine a calming scanner starting at the top of your head. As it slowly moves downward, every place it touches relaxes and lets go of tension. This gentle practice supports both your physical and mental health by helping to regulate the peripheral nervous system.
Move at your own pace. If a certain area feels tight or sore, slow down there or return to it later. The goal is to reconnect with your body and send it the message that it’s safe. This technique is a powerful tool you can use anywhere, even during the day when you feel stress rising.
3. Deep Belly Breathing (with Somatic Awareness)
Deep breathing is a basic yet effective form of breathwork that can help calm the nervous system. Take a slow breath in through your nose and let your belly rise. Hold it gently, then exhale through your mouth. Imagine each exhale sending safety signals through your brain and spinal cord, promoting rest and even supporting digestion.
When combined with body awareness, like feeling your feet on the floor or softening your shoulders—this practice supports resilience and helps you manage stress. You don’t need a quiet room or special equipment. Just a moment of presence and mindfulness can make all the difference, especially if you’re navigating mental health conditions or daily tension.
4. Non-Judgmental Noticing and Thanking Your Body
This may sound strange at first—but stay with me. Instead of getting angry at your anxiety or judging how your body reacts, try saying: “Thank you, body, for trying to protect me.” Anxiety is often a leftover signal from something painful your body went through.
Your body has helped you survive hard things. These patterns were built to keep you safe, even if they don’t feel helpful anymore. This gentle shift in mindset is part of Somatic Quieting—and it can be surprisingly healing.
5. Prayer and Spiritual Grounding (Optional)
If faith is part of your life, quiet moments with God can also calm your nervous system. You might try a breath prayer, journaling, or reflecting on a verse while resting in your body.
These spiritual practices can help your nervous system feel anchored, especially if you’ve gone through trauma or overwhelming stress. They remind you that you’re not alone in your healing journey.
Build Your Own Calm Body Routine
Somatic Quieting is a skill, and like any skill, it grows with practice. The more you do it, the easier it becomes to notice when your body needs help. You might even find your body starts calming itself before things get too overwhelming. That’s the power of reconnecting your mind and body.
What to Do If These Techniques Don’t Seem to Work Right Away
If you try a technique like Rag Doll or the Scanner and don’t feel calmer right away, that doesn’t mean it’s not working. Sometimes, our nervous system needs time to learn that it’s safe again. If your body has been on high alert for a long time, especially after trauma, it may need gentle, repeated reminders that it no longer needs to be in “survival mode.”
One of the most important parts of somatic quieting is having a non-judgmental mindset. Instead of getting frustrated, try saying, “It’s okay. My body is doing its best.” These techniques aren’t about fixing you—they’re about honoring your body’s effort to protect you. Each time you pause to notice your body, you’re practicing a new pattern. And every bit of progress counts.
Think of it like building muscle at the gym, it’s not instant, but with practice, your body will begin to respond more quickly. Even if you only feel 1% better after trying a technique, that matters. That 1% is proof that your nervous system can shift. Be patient with yourself. Healing happens in small, powerful steps—and you don’t have to do it alone.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you’ve been practicing Somatic Quieting but still feel stuck in anxiety or overwhelm, it may be time to reach out for more support. Sometimes our nervous systems have been on high alert for so long, especially after trauma, that they need extra care to heal. If you’re having panic attacks, frequent flashbacks, long-term trouble sleeping, or feeling disconnected from yourself or the world around you, therapy can help.
As a therapist, I want to remind you: your body’s responses are not wrong—they’re signs it’s trying to protect you. But if those responses are making it hard to live the life you want, working with a trauma-informed therapist can make a difference. Therapy offers a safe space to explore what your nervous system has been holding onto and to learn new ways to help it feel calm and safe again.
You don’t have to be in crisis to ask for help. Sometimes reaching out is just the next step in learning how to live with more peace and ease. If you’re wondering whether therapy might help, that alone is a good reason to explore it. And if you’re in the state of Maine, I’d be honored to support you on your healing journey.
Final Thoughts
After going through hard things, it’s common for the nervous system to feel like it’s stuck in high alert, like it’s on fire. Somatic Quieting helps us gently retrain those survival responses and reconnect with the calm body we all deserve to live in. These techniques don’t just help us feel better in the moment—they help us build long-term peace, one practice at a time.
You don’t need to do it perfectly. You just need to start. Try one technique today, even if it’s for just a few minutes. Be kind to your body. It’s been working hard to protect you. With time, care, and consistency, your body can learn that it’s safe again, and you can begin living with more ease, presence, and control. And if you need support along the way, I’m here.
Until next time,
