Tools to Down-Regulate the Nervous System
Daily life has its share of stresses and we can often find ourselves feeling completely drained at the end of the day. Finding yourself in a state of overwhelm, burn-out, confusion, or maybe even anger, sadness, or aloofness, may all be signs that you are in a state of “fight or flight”. This happens when our sympathetic nervous system is switched on due to stress.
The nervous system is our body's command center. Originating from the brain, it controls movements, thoughts, and automatic responses to the environment. It also controls other body systems and processes, such as digestion, breathing, and the processes of puberty.
Your sympathetic nervous system responds to dangerous or stressful situations by speeding up your heart rate, delivering more blood to areas of your body that need more oxygen, or other responses to help you get out of danger. We call this a state of “fight-or-flight”.
Your parasympathetic nervous system is a network of nerves that relaxes your body, usually after periods of stress or danger. It also helps run life-sustaining processes, like digestion, during times when you feel safe and relaxed. This is referred to as the “rest and digest” state.
The last few years have been challenging for all of us in many ways. Our sympathetic nervous systems have been on overdrive and many of us are functioning in a chronic state of fight-or-flight. Digestive issues, hypertension, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and sleep disruption are just some of the ways long-term stress affects us.
We’d like to share our toolkit for down-regulating the nervous system. These are simple and effective strategies to help you manage your daily modern life without spiking cortisol levels and burning out. And the best part about this toolkit is that it is completely free and accessible to everyone, all you need is yourself.
THE REGULATE TOOLKIT:
Deep Breathing
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) “Tapping”
Aromatherapy
Therapeutic Movement
Earthing
Grounding with Nutrition
Tool #1: Just Breath
When we are stressed out or moving through higher emotional states we can physically notice a shortened breath, among many other sensations.
Breathing deeply, with a slow and steady inhalation to exhalation, signals our parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body down. Long, deep breaths can also manage our stress responses to help decrease anxiety, fear, racing thoughts, a rapid heartbeat, and shallow chest breathing.
Deep breathing, sometimes called diaphragmatic breathing, enables more oxygen to flow into your body. This increase in oxygen helps to calm nerves, reduce pain, and can also improve your ability to focus.
Activity: Take 1 minute to close your eyes, sit tall, and take a slow deep breath through the nose into the base of your lungs, then exhale slowly through the nose or the mouth. Repeat 5 - 10 times. Notice how you feel.
Tool #2: EFT Tapping
The Emotional Freedom Technique, also called ‘tapping’ is a fusion of acupressure and psychology. By tapping along the meridians (energy pathways) in the body, we can help release trapped energy. While we tap, we repeat a phrase that acknowledges the stress or pain we are feeling and also offers deep self-compassion and acceptance.
This technique has been proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure and to bring a state of balance to the body and mind. You can use tapping to help with anxiety, depression, panic, fear, doubt, and many other emotional states that can result from stress.
How To Practice Tapping:
Choose a stress, a frustration, or something that is taking your energy and bringing you into a state of dysregulation. Now, give this feeling or problem a number of severity in this moment, between 1 and 10 (10 being the highest, 1 being the lowest).
Create a statement to express how you feel. The standard EFT statement is:
“Even though I have this—insert problem/pain/feeling—, I love and accept myself.”
You can use any variation of the statement. Speaking out loud what you are feeling or thinking gives a voice to your pain or challenge and gets it out of your body.
Begin tapping along the meridian points starting with the karate chop point and then moving from the crown of the head, down to the under-arm. Tapping these points sends a calming signal to the nervous system, bringing you back into clarity and balance. As you move through the points, repeat your statement, expressing how you are feeling or what the problem is, and then end the statement with compassion for yourself. Keep repeating the statement aloud or in your head, while tapping through the points, and repeat the whole cycle for at least 3 full rounds.
Settle your arms by your sides, close your eyes and breathe slow and deep. Now give the stress or problem a number. Did it go down? If not, you can repeat this sequence a few more times and see if it moves that starting number down to a lower number.
Tool #3: Aromatherapy
Some aromas can be stimulating, while others are very relaxing. Lavender is known for its calming effect on the nervous system. A few deep breaths of lavender essential oil can reduce anxiety, nervousness, depressive symptoms, agitation, and disturbed sleep. Combining a lavender essential oil with a simple temple massage can help relieve tension headaches, tightness in the jaw, and stress. Other grounding scents include frankincense and sandalwood which have deep earthy smells.
When we breathe in these calming and grounding aromas, our olfactory system communicates with the brain, activating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which help to regulate our mood.
Try these aromas for winding down:
Lavender
Rose
Chamomile
Bergamot
Sage
Sandalwood
Rosemary
Frankincense
If possible choose organic essential oils. If you have sensitive skin, combine a drop or two of the lavender or other oil, with a carrier oil like jojoba or grapeseed.
Activities:
Take a drop of lavender oil in your palm and rub your palms together. Place your palms open, under your nose, and take 3 deep breaths. Notice how you feel.
Bring your lavender-scented fingers to your temples and gently massage. Bring your fingers to the base of the skull and gently massage the area.
Massage lavender oil into your wrists or on the soles of your feet, where it will be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Tool #4: Therapeutic Movement
Yoga
Tai Chi
Qi Gong
Dancing
Massage
Jumping or shaking
By stimulating the movement of blood, oxygen, and energy in the body we release energetic blockage, increase oxygen intake and carbon dioxide release, and get our blood moving through our muscles and tissues, bringing more nutrients and oxygen to the cells of the body. Movement can get you “unstuck” when you are stuck, and bring energy when you are depleted. Movement helps to get you out of your head and into your body and into the present moment. There are MANY ways to move your body and it can be as simple as jumping up and down.
Activity:
Stand up and relax the body. Feel the arms hang from the shoulders, the belly and chest relaxed. Now jump without lifting the toes of the ground, a little jump with just the heels. Feel the body ‘jiggle’ everywhere and keep everything relaxed, breathing steadily. Soften your knees as you jump and feel your heels landing solidly on the ground. Continue for 1 minute and then stop. Breathe, take a moment, and notice how you feel!
Tool #5: Earthing - Forest Bathing - Ocean Dips and Baths
Taking a walk in nature, walking barefoot on the natural ground, stepping into a bath, a shower or the ocean can act like a “reset” button for our nervous system. When we are walking in nature, breathing in the air, and appreciating the plants, smells, and sensations around us, we practice mindfulness, being present and grounding our bodies and minds. Research has shown that spending time in green spaces significantly reduces blood pressure, and improves immune function and overall mental well-being.
Cold water immersion increases the production of mood-elevating hormones, reducing anxiety and depression. It triggers the Vagus nerve, the largest component of the parasympathetic nervous system. That's why it feels so good to jump in the ocean! Taking a shower and ending with cold water, or washing your face with warm and then cold water is another great way to elevate your mood. The cold water also gets the blood flowing to the skin, and increases protection from toxins in the air.
Activities:
The next time you have a shower, spend the last minute with the water on COLD, completely cooling the body from head to toe.
After washing your face, take a very cold towel (maybe infused with some lavender essential oil) and place it over your face with your hands for a few seconds.
Plunge into the healing waters of the ocean whenever possible. Float in the water, submerge your whole body and take a moment to appreciate the ocean, the beach, the sky, and the place where you are.
Take a walk in nature and see if you can keep your attention on what you feel, hear, smell, see and even taste. Feel each step you take and breathe deeply.
Tool #6: Grounding Nutrition
Diet, the food we eat, affects our body. While we tend to separate our emotional and mental states from our physical bodies, we are one biological system. The saying “we are what we eat” holds true. Too much stimulation from caffeinated beverages, sugar, and sweet foods, or maybe an overindulgence in alcohol or tobacco can create stress in the body, and feelings of anxiousness and nervousness may become heightened. Reducing these stimulants and depressants is one way to return to balance. We can also introduce more foods that help to nourish and ground us in body and mind, including:
Whole grains: wild rice, Kamut, oats, barley, farrow
Proteins: organic grass-fed meat, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens
Root Vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, potato, squash, beets, radish, onion, garlic
Spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin
Green Tea and Cocoa
Berries
Activity:
Start to become aware of how the foods you eat affect you physically and maybe even mentally/emotionally. Pay attention to discomfort in the body, digestion, pain, bloating, skin irritations, mood changes, heart rate, and any odd sensations. Keep a record for 2 weeks and notice any patterns.
Remove the foods you are noticing are irritating for you.
Over time, you can start to curate your own specific food needs and cultivate health and well-being that is uniquely yours in body and mind.
We hope this toolkit helps you! There are SO many things we can do to support our well-being and this list just scratches the surface. If you are interested in taking a deeper dive, join our online membership and discover over 50 hours of movement, nutrition, and mindfulness classes. You can also find our meditations on the Know Your Nature Podcast on whatever app you like to use. And for anyone coming to Turks and Caicos, we offer private in-person mini-retreats, sharing all these tools and more!
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