Regulating the Nervous System: Tools for Stress, Burnout, and Overwhelm
No amount of self-talk can calm your body if your nervous system feels like it’s still in danger.
That’s why nervous system regulation is foundational—not just for trauma recovery, but for anyone stuck in cycles of stress, shutdown, or burnout.
At Tidal Trauma Centre, we support clients using trauma-informed therapy that focuses not just on thoughts, but on physiology.
Here are some of our favourite regulation tools—grounded in somatic therapy, polyvagal theory, and nervous system science.
What Is Nervous System Dysregulation?
Nervous system dysregulation happens when your body gets stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode—even when there’s no current threat.
It can look like:
Chronic anxiety or irritability
Numbness, fogginess, or exhaustion
Trouble falling or staying asleep
A persistent sense of being “too much” or “not enough”
Difficulty making decisions or feeling grounded in your body
This isn’t just a mindset issue—it’s a physiological pattern rooted in survival responses.
3 Phases of Nervous System Regulation
1. Safety & Grounding
Before your system can shift, it needs cues of safety. These gentle tools can signal “it’s okay to slow down”:
Exhale longer than you inhale: Try a 4-count inhale and 6-count exhale. This activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest) branch of the nervous system.
Orienting: Slowly scan the room. Name 3 things you see, 2 things you hear, and 1 thing you physically feel. This grounds you in the present.
Touch or pressure: Wrap yourself in a blanket, hug a pillow, place a hand over your heart, or press your feet firmly into the floor. Weighted items like a lap pad or stuffed animal can be deeply calming.
2. Co-Regulation
We’re wired to regulate in connection—this is a biological truth, not a personal weakness.
Be near someone calm and grounded: You don’t need to talk—just being in the presence of a regulated person can shift your system.
Eye contact with someone safe—or your pet: This taps into the social engagement system, softening fight/flight reactivity.
Listen to a rhythmic voice: Choose a calming podcast, a storybook, or a gentle playlist. Human vocal tones are powerful co-regulators.
3. Movement & Discharge
Once a sense of safety is established, the body often needs to release the energy it had stored to defend you.
Shake it out: Stand up and shake out your arms, legs, or even your jaw. This discharges adrenaline and resets your baseline.
Humming, sighing, or voicing a “voo” sound: These vocalizations stimulate the vagus nerve and naturally down-regulate your system.
Stretching and spinal movement: Try slow twisting, cat-cow, forward folding, or reaching overhead. Moving the spine gently signals to the brain that the threat has passed.
Our Favourite Somatic Tools for Overwhelm
5-4-3-2-1 Senses Exercise: Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. A classic grounding tool that activates multiple brain areas.
Legs up the wall: Lie on your back and rest your legs up a wall or couch. This posture downshifts the nervous system and improves vagal tone.
“Voo” Sounding (from Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing): Inhale deeply, then exhale with a low-pitched “vooooooo” sound. Repeat for several rounds.
Polyvagal Ladder Check-In: Ask yourself, “Where am I right now—connected and calm (ventral), anxious or agitated (sympathetic), or numb/shut down (dorsal)?”
Naming your state increases awareness and agency.
Therapy Helps Rewire, Not Just Regulate
These tools are helpful—but they’re not meant to replace therapy.
Lasting nervous system change often requires:
Repetition (your body needs to practice feeling safe)
Relational safety (healing in connection with another)
Processing the unresolved stress that keeps your system stuck
At Tidal, we offer somatic therapy, EMDR, and IFS to support deep healing—not just symptom relief.
FAQs: Nervous System Regulation
Can I do these tools on my own?
Yes—but if your system is stuck in chronic fight, freeze, or fawn, therapy can help guide you gently back into regulation.
Is this the same as breathwork or meditation?
No. While breath and mindfulness are involved, nervous system work is titrated and body-led. Many of our clients find traditional meditation triggering.
Somatic therapy offers an alternative that respects trauma physiology.
What if I feel numb and nothing helps?
That may mean you’re in a dorsal (freeze/shutdown) state. Numbness isn’t failure—it’s protection. Your body may need slower, more attuned entry points.
Can therapy really change how my nervous system works?
Yes. Just like muscles and reflexes, your nervous system learns through relationship, repetition, and repair. Trauma-informed therapy helps this shift happen gently and sustainably.
You Deserve a Body That Feels Safe to Live In
Anxiety, shutdown, and overwhelm aren’t moral failings. They’re survival responses. And they can shift.
At Tidal, we’re here to help you come home to yourself—one breath, one moment, one safe connection at a time.