13 WAYS TO REGULATE YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM

For those of you who find relaxation a difficult place to land, who work well beyond a full week’s hours, who juggle caretaking, household responsibilities, partners, friends, family, or anything else that keeps you constantly “on”… today we’re reviewing the nervous system and why supporting it is essential. We will also go over key techniques to help you shift out of “fight or flight,” or what many call sympathetic dominance, and guide your body back into the parasympathetic state of rest, digest, and restore.

I know it is not always easy. Stress becomes familiar. And the hormones of stress can feel addictive. Cortisol, for example, plays an important role in survival. It alerts us to danger and gives us the energy to push through long days. But as vital as cortisol is, it should not run the whole show. At some point we need to replace that constant alarm with practices that help our bodies feel grounded and well.

Before we get into the practices, let’s take a quick look at how the nervous system works.

Your nervous system is connected to every part of your physical body. Some traditions even describe it as the bridge that connects us to the deeper layers of who we are.

The body has two primary nervous systems

The voluntary nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

The Voluntary Nervous System

This system controls intentional movement. It connects the brain to the motor neurons that move our muscles and the sensory neurons that help us interpret the world around us. Because it is voluntary, we choose when to use it. Think of waving, walking, or reaching for a cup of tea.

The Autonomic Nervous System

This system works without our conscious control. It regulates heart rate, digestion, breath, immunity, and more. It keeps everything running, even while we sleep.

Within the autonomic nervous system are two branches

The sympathetic nervous system which activates fight or flight

The parasympathetic nervous system which supports rest, digest, and healing

The sympathetic system gives us the energy to react to stress. The parasympathetic system allows the body to repair and maintain balance.

Signs You May Be Stuck in Fight or Flight

Tired but wired

Waking during the night

Alert between 1 and 4 am

Digestive issues like bloating or constipation

Elevated blood sugar or increased cravings

Feeling unable to slow down or settle mentally or physically

Modern life naturally leans toward sympathetic dominance. Overworking, overstimulation from screens, emotional stress, and constant demands keep the nervous system activated.

With awareness and daily practices, we can guide the body back toward balance. Here are thirteen effective ways to regulate your nervous system.

Let’s begin with some of the lesser known tools

1. Cleanse Your Bowels

Inflammation often begins in the gut. When the digestive system becomes sluggish or congested, it can feed anxiety and make it difficult for the body to relax. Gentle cleansing through warm liquids, soups, broths, hydration, and reduced processed foods helps restore digestive flow and supports emotional balance.

2. Nerve Tonics and Trophorestoratives

These herbs nourish the nervous system at a deep tissue level, helping to rebuild what chronic stress depletes.

A beautiful example is Greek Mountain Tea (Sideritis). Traditionally used throughout Greece for vitality, clarity, and mood support, Mountain Tea is considered both a nerve tonic and a trophorestorative. It gently strengthens the nervous system, supports emotional steadiness, and replenishes the body after long periods of overworking or overwhelm.

Milky oats, nettle seed, and milk thistle are additional herbs known to restore resilience to a depleted system.

3. Nervines and Adaptogens

Nervines directly calm and nourish the nerves. Examples include lemon balm, chamomile, lavender, skullcap, and passionflower. These herbs help soften tension and quiet the mind.

Adaptogens, meanwhile, help the body regulate the stress response. They do not push the body up or down but help it adapt. Instead of ashwagandha, consider holy basil (tulsi), rhodiola, reishi, schisandra berry, or eleuthero. These herbs support adrenal function and help reduce the physiological effects of stress.

4. Good Fats

Healthy fats strengthen the brain and nerve tissue. They support cognition, hormonal balance, and the protective myelin sheath that surrounds each nerve. Fats also help you absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat is foundational for nervous system health.

5. Cold Showers

Cold water activates the vagus nerve, the communication channel between the brain and the digestive system. When the vagus nerve is stimulated, it helps regulate heart rate, digestion, and emotional balance. Even brief cold exposure can support nervous system tone and resilience.

Now for some classics that are tremendously helpful

6. Meditation and Breathwork

Five to twenty minutes of quiet breathing can significantly lower stress hormones and activate the parasympathetic response. The 4 7 8 breath is a powerful entry point. Inhale for four, hold for seven, exhale for eight. Closing your eyes naturally shifts the body toward calm.

7. Support Your Sleep Wake Cycle

Your circadian rhythm guides energy, focus, mood, and hormonal balance. Irregular sleep weakens the nervous system. Aim for consistency. Dim lights in the evening. Allow yourself the eight to nine hours your body may be asking for.

8. Change Your Relationship with Caffeine

Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and can worsen anxiety, digestive issues, or insomnia. Try reducing the amount, shifting the timing, or replacing part of your intake with herbal infusions. If your body depends heavily on coffee, it may be a sign the nervous system needs deeper support.

9. Foods for the Nervous System and Adrenals

Fruits, root vegetables, and nourishing whole foods help stabilize the nervous system. These foods ground the body and support adrenal function. Very low carbohydrate diets can be hard on the adrenals for people who already run anxious or stressed.

10. Music and Binaural Beats

Soothing music helps relax the mind and body. Sound frequencies, singing bowls, binaural beats, or soft instrumental tracks can shift the nervous system toward balance and ease.

11. Hands On Healing and Bodywork

Massage, reiki, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, lymphatic work, abdominal massage, and rolfing all help release stored tension. These therapies guide the nervous system gently out of hypervigilance and into rest.

12. B Vitamins for Nerve Support

The nerves rely on B vitamins for protection and repair. B12, folate, and B6 help maintain the myelin sheath and support cognitive health. Spinach, beets, pomegranate, algae, and animal based foods all provide these essential nutrients.

13. Being in Darkness

Darkness stimulates melatonin, which helps regulate the sleep wake cycle and supports emotional and hormonal balance. Even a few minutes in a dark space can help the body shift from alertness into restoration.

Your nervous system is always listening. It responds to your breath, your choices, your pace, your nourishment, and the way you speak to yourself. The more you create moments of calm, the more your body remembers what safety feels like. And from that place, healing begins naturally.

These practices are not about perfection. They are about creating small, meaningful openings in your day that remind your body that it does not have to live in survival mode. It can settle. It can soften. It can restore.

Your nervous system wants to support you. These practices help you support it in return.