5 ways to regulate your nervous system...
Do you find yourself anxious for no apparent reason?
Something set you off at work or at home and you're trying not to react?
Feeling down, withdrawn and frozen?
STOP giving yourself a hard time for this! Our nervous systems are designed to activate different types of survival mechanisms depending on the circumstances.
These protective mechanisms that the nervous system uses were developed in our younger years in response to stress. Essentially they're a normal part of our functioning, it's just that they can really get in the way of our everyday life!
Think about it, we need to get that assignment done or complete that deadline but our nervous system has put us into shut down based off of an event that happened the day before - now we're procrastinating, getting worried, doom scrolling and getting increasingly anxious about finishing the deadline.
Well, fear not! There are ways to regulate and move through these difficult states so that we can still show up at our best regardless of the circumstances.
So, how do we do it?! Here a 5 ways to regulate your nervous system:
1. Breathwork - Taking just 5 minutes to complete a breathwork cycle is a powerful way to become embodied and ride the waves. Cyclic sighing or box breathing are both so effective - set a 5 minute timer and get going.
2. Walking - walking has such strong neurological and physiological effects on our inner world that it is surprising that we don't talk about it more! Walking and especially, walking with an intention to regulate yourself, activates the cross-crawl reflex that instantly puts your brain into a more connected pattern. 10-20 minutes of this and you'll have processed the original stressor and moved your body into a more regulated state.
3. Guided Yoga Nidra meditation - Yoga Nidra meditation has been studied and found to create the networking that our brain needs to process stress. This is particularly useful for people who are shut down or in a procrastination funk. Guided meditation for 20 mins (use youtube) and you'll be feeling back to yourself with the resilience to keep going.
4. Butterfly Tapping - excellent for when you're heightened, activated, feeling reactive or even raging! Cross your hands over your chest and tap each shoulder rhythmically one after the other. Set a time for 5 minutes and regulate your breathing while focusing on the taps. Invite your mind to go over whatever racing thoughts or rageful fantasies - the tapping helps you process them!
5. Cold water or ice face wash - This super powerful technique will have you snapping right out of a panic attack or elevating your system through a shut down zone. Put cold water into a bowl and simply place your face into it. Hold your breath for as long as you can. Bonus points if you also put ice in there! Do it as often as you need to feel the endorphins take over.
All 5 steps work well together, personally I like to start with a cold face plunge, then cyclic sighing and then a 20 minute walk. Try them out and see what works for you!
Do you want to explore this more? Dr. Hilary Conroy and Shannon Hsu have an amazing nervous system workshop. It's called From Fear to Freedom: Demystifying your nervous system for self mastery. You will learn so much about your nervous system, how it is built to protect you, you will discover the ways your nervous system activates you, or deactivates you and what to do about it. Everyone experiences a breakthrough from these workshops, come and get yours! Check it out using the button below…