How to Calm Your Nervous System: 7 Gentle Ways to Feel More Grounded.
Updated: Aug 16
Sometimes stress doesn’t look dramatic.
It can feel like waking up already thinking about everything you have to do. Rushing through the morning. Checking your phone while drinking your coffee. Moving from one responsibility to the next without ever really feeling like you’ve stopped.
You may even finally sit down at the end of the day and realize that although your body is tired, your mind is still going.
This is one reason we are hearing so much lately about the nervous system.
Our bodies are designed to respond to stress. When we perceive a challenge, the body can shift into its stress response—often called “fight or flight.” Relaxation practices, on the other hand, can help encourage the body’s natural relaxation response, which is associated with slower breathing and a greater sense of calm.
The goal isn't to be calm every minute of every day.
It is simply to give your body moments when it doesn't have to be doing, solving, rushing or reacting.
And those moments don't need to be complicated.
1. Create a Small Pause in Your Day
We often think self-care needs to take an hour.
It doesn't.
Try giving yourself five quiet minutes before moving into the next part of your day.
Sit somewhere comfortable. Put your phone down. Take a few slower breaths. Notice where you are.
Nothing needs to happen during those five minutes.
Sometimes the ritual itself—this is my moment to stop—is enough to begin changing the pace of the day.
2. Slow Your Breathing
Your breath is something you carry with you everywhere.
Slow breathing and other relaxation techniques have been studied for their role in reducing feelings of stress and supporting the body's relaxation response.
You don't need a complicated breathing technique.
Try inhaling gently through your nose and allowing your exhale to be slow and easy.
Do this for several breaths.
Don't worry about doing it perfectly.
Simply notice your breath.
3. Make an Ordinary Moment Feel Special
This is one of my favorite forms of self-care.
Make tea in a cup you love.
Sit somewhere comfortable instead of drinking it while standing at the kitchen counter.
Light a candle.
Wrap yourself in a blanket.
Put on quiet music.
These little rituals may seem insignificant, but they create a message in our everyday lives:
I am allowed to slow down.
Sometimes wellness isn't about adding something new.
Sometimes it's about changing the way we experience something we're already doing.
4. Step Outside
Nature gives us a natural opportunity to disconnect from the constant stimulation of phones, computers, television and responsibilities.
Take a short walk.
Sit outside with your coffee.
Notice the temperature of the air.
Listen to the birds.
Look at the trees.
You don't have to turn it into exercise or another thing to accomplish.
Just be outside for a few minutes.
5. Bring Yourself Back to the Present Moment
Stress often pulls us into what happened yesterday or what needs to happen tomorrow.
Presence brings us back to right now.
Ask yourself:
What can I see?
What can I hear?
What can I feel?
Where am I holding tension?
You don't have to change anything.
Just notice.
Mindfulness practices center on bringing attention to the present moment, and research suggests they may be helpful for some people experiencing stress.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Rest Before Everything Is Finished
This may be the hardest one.
Many of us tell ourselves:
I'll relax after I finish everything.
But there is always something else to finish.
The laundry.
The emails.
The grocery shopping.
The work.
The family responsibilities.
Rest doesn't have to be something you earn after completing your entire to-do list.
Sometimes rest is what helps you return to your life feeling more present.
7. Create a Personal Relaxation Practice
This will look different for everyone.
For one person it might be meditation.
For another it might be prayer, music, journaling, stretching, sitting quietly with tea or spending time outdoors.
For me, Reiki is also part of that practice.
I don't think of Reiki as something that needs to feel mysterious or complicated. I think of it as an opportunity to become still, bring awareness back to the body and create intentional space for relaxation.
That's really the heart of the work I teach.
You Don't Need to Change Your Entire Life
If you are feeling overwhelmed, you don't necessarily need a completely new morning routine, a dozen supplements or another complicated wellness plan.
Start smaller.
Five quiet minutes.
A slower breath.
A walk outside.
A cup of tea without your phone.
A hand resting gently over your heart.
A moment when you allow yourself simply to be.
Those small moments can become meaningful rituals.
And over time, you may begin noticing something important:
You haven't escaped your life.
You've simply learned how to create a little more peace inside of it.
Want to Explore This More?
In Reiki for Yourself, we talk about the nervous system, relaxation, presence, simple self-care rituals, nutrition and gentle ways to bring Reiki into your everyday life.
It was created to feel less like another class you have to complete and more like a little wellness retreat you can enjoy from home.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable and join me whenever you're ready.
Want to create more calm at home?
Reiki for Yourself is my gentle, self-paced at-home experience designed to help you understand your nervous system, create simple practices for calmer moments, and have a place to return to whenever you need time for yourself.
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