Unlock Your Inner Calm
27 Powerful Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System and Crush Stress & Anxiety
At The Well, we strive to encourage you to refill, reset, and restore. It’s challenging to refill, reset, and restore when your cortisol is out of control, leaving your nervous system dysregulated. So here is a list of 27 things you can try (not all at once, of course!).
Exercises to regulate your nervous system and repair your cortisol rhythm.
1. Physiological Sigh: Take a deep breath through your nose, filling your lungs
completely, then take another quick inhale to fully expand your lungs before
exhaling slowly through your mouth. This technique helps to release tension and
calm the nervous system.
2. Stress Shakes: Shake out your hands, arms, and legs to release built-up stress
and energy. This simple physical activity helps to dissipate tension and promotes a sense of relaxation.
3. Cold Water Immersion: Immerse yourself in cold water, use ice cubes or a jade roller kept in the freezer on your face, or take a cold shower. The cold temperature stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.
4. Humming or Chanting: Make a low humming sound or practice chanting "OM"
to stimulate the vagus nerve. The vibrations created by these vocalizations can
help activate the relaxation response.
5. Cold Water Face Splash: Splash your face with cold water or apply a cold
compress to the area around your eyes and cheeks. The cold sensation stimulates the vagus nerve and promotes relaxation.
6. Engage in a Creative Outlet: Paint, draw, write, knit, embroider, or engage in any creative activity that brings you joy. Creativity can be a powerful way to express emotions and release stress.
7. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Start by tensing and then releasing each muscle group in your body, from your toes to your head. This technique helps release physical tension and promotes relaxation.
8. Visualization: Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a peaceful and calming place, such as a beach or a forest. Visualize the details and immerse yourself in the sensory experience to help shift your focus away from stress.
9. Repeat a Mantra or Affirmation: Choose a positive phrase, affirmation, or Bible verse that resonates with you, such as "I am calm and capable" or "I can handle this." Repeat it silently or aloud to yourself to shift your mindset and reduce stress. You can also write it on notecards and place it in prominent places you will see it throughout the day.
10. Gratitude Walk: Take a walk and focus on things you are grateful for. As you walk, notice the beauty around you and express gratitude for the positive aspects of your life. This practice can help shift your focus from stress to appreciation and joy.
11. Tension Release Ball: Use a small, soft ball to roll under your feet or along your
back. This self-massage technique helps release physical tension and soothe the nervous system.
12. Tapping (EFT): Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also known as tapping, involves tapping specific acupressure points on the body while focusing on a particular issue or stressor. This can help reduce anxiety and promote emotional balance.
13. Beat the Pillow and Then Journal: Use a pillow to physically express your
frustrations by hitting it (don’t knock it until you try it!), then follow up by journaling about your feelings. This combination of physical release and reflective writing can help process and alleviate stress.
14. Appreciation Game: Take turns with a friend or family member listing things
you appreciate about each other. This practice fosters positive emotions and
strengthens social bonds, which are beneficial for the nervous system.
15. Sensory Integration Therapy: Engage in activities that stimulate multiple
senses simultaneously, such as swinging in a hammock while listening to calming
music. This helps promote relaxation and a sense of groundedness.
16. Move It Out: Engage in any form of physical movement you enjoy, such as
dancing, stretching, or yoga. Physical activity helps release endorphins and
reduces stress.
17. Rocking on the Floor: Sit on the floor and gently rock back and forth. This
rhythmic movement can be soothing and help calm the nervous system.
18. Color Breathing: Choose a color that represents calmness to you. Close your
eyes, imagine inhaling that color, and visualize it spreading throughout your body with each breath. As you exhale, imagine releasing tension and stress in a
contrasting color.
19. Tonglen Meditation: In this Buddhist practice, breathe in the suffering or stress
of yourself or others, and as you exhale, send out feelings of compassion, love,
and peace. This practice helps cultivate empathy and transform negative
emotions.
20. Trataka (Candle Gazing): Light a candle and focus your gaze on the flame.
Concentrate on the flame without blinking for as long as comfortable. This
practice helps quiet the mind and promote a sense of calm.
21. Epsom Salt Foot Soak: Fill a basin with warm water and Epsom salts, and soak
your feet for 15-20 minutes. The magnesium in the Epsom salts can help relax
muscles and calm the nervous system.
22. Digital Detox: Dedicate a specific period each day to disconnecting from
electronic devices. Use this time to engage in activities that bring you joy and help
you unwind, such as reading a book, practicing a hobby, or spending quality time
with loved ones.
23. Grounding: Engage in activities that promote a sense of grounding and
connection with the present moment. This can include walking barefoot on grass
or soil, hugging a tree, or simply feeling the weight of your body against a chair.
24. Three-Second Hugs: Give or receive hugs that last at least three seconds. This
brief but meaningful physical connection can help release oxytocin, a hormone
that promotes relaxation and bonding.
25. I Am Safe Technique: Reassure yourself with the phrase "I am safe" while
placing a hand on your heart. This simple affirmation can help reduce feelings of
anxiety and promote a sense of security. When you feel stressors rising, you can remind yourself that whatever is coming at you is NOT a massive grizzly bear about to attack you.
26. Lymphatic Massage: Perform gentle massage strokes on your lymph nodes,
starting from your neck and moving down towards your armpits and groin. This
can help stimulate the lymphatic system and promote relaxation.
27. Worry Box: Create a worry box or journal where you write down any worries
or anxieties. Place the written worries in the box as a symbolic act of letting go
and releasing their hold on you. Others have also written them down on paper, put them in a safe place to burn, and then burnt them.
We are so glad you landed here today and hope you’ll check out this blog in podcast form for more encouragement and helpful ideas.
Want more than just the cliff notes? Listen to episode 222 below, and if you find it helpful, please kindly leave a review and share it with a friend!
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