How to Regulate your own Nervous System- a Simple Technique
There's been a lot of talk around nervous system regulation recently, and it can be a little unclear as to how to actually self-regulate your own nervous system.
Today we are going to run through a simple exercise where you can shift your state in real time. So if you're struggling with looping thoughts, anxious feelings, stresses, or just general annoyances, and you want to regulate your own nervous system, this is a simple but incredibly powerful tool that will help you shift your state in real time. This is inspired by the HeartMath Institute, where I am a certified HeartMath coach. Just follow along the steps below.
As a side note, this is a very simple exercise, but it is not necessarily easy when you're first new to it. If you would like help and guidance regulating your nervous system and living life from a more calm and joyful place, please do reach out for an introductory call with myself where we can discuss somatic exercises and techniques that will help you regulate your nervous system in real time and connect to who you truly are.
The Process
So first of all, when you're in a private, safe place, simply go ahead and close down your eyes and just for a few moments become aware of your breath. Just notice the air and the temperature of it as you breathe in and out your nose.
Now I invite you to breathe down into your heart space, into your chest, and with your awareness lightly resting here, just deliberately slow down your breathing. Perhaps you want to reach for five seconds in, five seconds out, or any other rhythm that feels attainable and comfortable for you. Just slow down that breathing for the next few moments.
And when your breathing has suitably slowed down and this is comfortable for you, your heart rate often follow this. You may begin to feel a sense of calm or a sense or spaciousness. This is the state that we're looking for.
Shifting your Emotional State
From here, I invite you to bring up a feeling of calm. So you can either imagine what calm feels like, but what is more effective for most people is thinking of a place or time that you felt calm and at peace. Perhaps you were on holiday, you were by the beach, there's a place in nature. Alternatively, there may be someone in your life that just feels very calm and peaceful, so you can picture being with them too. And just taking the next few moments to just picture yourself in your mind's eye in this peaceful place, feeling the sense of calm. Keep being aware of your breath, keep slowing, making sure it's slowed down, and just breathe in calm.
And once you reach a space of calm, I invite you to drop another question into your body. Just ask your body today, How can I support you more? And there's no need to look for any answers. Just see if anything bubbles up in response.
And congratulations! Following these steps a few times will really show you how to self-regulate your nervous system in real time. This is something that can be done any place, any time. You can just steal a few minutes to close down your eyes, slow down your breathing, and picture a scene, a person, or just feel a sense of calm and peace in your body.
If you are interested in searching how you can regulate your nervous system in real time, I work with women especially in ways to get rid of stress and anxiety and reach a place of more calm and joyfulness in their everyday life.
We do this via somatic coaching and nervous system regulation techniques. I offer a complimentary somatic session for you to experience this in real time and understand if this is regular coaching that might be right for you. If you are interested in this, please do reach out.
I hope this was helpful and I wish you a calm and peaceful day.