Tools to Support Your Nervous System
A simple guide for feeling steadier, softer, and more like yourself again.
TL;DR: ⚡️
Your nervous system is the control center of your energy, mood, and resilience. In this post, we’ll explore what regulation really means and walk through simple tools. Some offer immediate support, while others build long-term steadiness to help you feel more calm, grounded, and connected when life feels overstimulating.
Before we dive in...
If you’ve been feeling off lately, tired but wired, overstimulated, or like you can’t fully catch your breath, I’m now offering 1:1 Reiki sessions both virtual and in person. These are calm, supportive spaces to reset your energy, clear what’s weighing on you, and feel a little more like yourself again.
To book, email info@vibrationalbloom.com, visit vibrationalbloom.com, or send me a DM.
By Jess | The Bloom Collective
Why Nervous System Regulation Matters
Your nervous system is always scanning for safety. When it feels supported, you feel open, creative, calm, and responsive. When it’s dysregulated, even small things can feel overwhelming. You might notice this as brain fog, irritability, anxiety, numbness, or a constant urge to check out or shut down.
Regulation isn’t about perfection. It’s about building small moments of return to your body, your breath, and your sense of safety.
Signs Your Nervous System Might Be Dysregulated
You feel on edge even when nothing is wrong
It’s hard to fall asleep or stay asleep
You go from 0 to 100 emotionally and can’t explain why
You feel disconnected from your body or surroundings
You rely on numbing (scrolling, caffeine, overworking) to get through the day
You find it hard to make simple decisions or stay present in conversations
These are just signals, not signs that something is wrong with you. Your body is wise. It's trying to protect you. Our work is to meet that with care, not control.
Real-Life Stories of Nervous System Regulation
It’s one thing to read about regulation tools. It’s another to see them in action. Here I’ve collected two stories that highlight how nervous system practices can help people reconnect and heal in very real ways.
Teresa’s Journey: Navigating Long COVID with the Safe and Sound Protocol
Teresa, a 52-year-old woman, struggled with lingering symptoms after recovering from COVID—chronic fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, and a deep sense of disconnection from her body. These symptoms pointed to a dysregulated nervous system.
Her care team introduced her to the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a listening-based therapy that helps regulate the vagus nerve and calm the system. Over time, Teresa experienced major shifts: clearer thinking, more energy, and a greater sense of physical stability. This tool helped her body remember what safety felt like.
Holly’s Transformation: Emotional Regulation in a Young Child
Holly was nine years old and navigating school after experiencing early-life trauma. She had difficulty regulating her emotions, especially in social or learning environments.
Working with an occupational therapist, Holly began using SSP for children. Over several sessions, her nervous system began to soften. She became more engaged in class, more connected to peers, and more able to process her feelings without shutting down or acting out. For Holly, regulation wasn’t just about calm. It was about connection.
Simple Tools That Help Me Return to Center
And let’s be honest here, you don’t need to overhaul your routine. You just need a few supportive things to return to when things feel off. Here are tools I come back to:
1. Breathwork
Try a simple inhale for 4, exhale for 6 rhythm. Longer exhales tell your body it’s safe. It works even if you only do it for 60 seconds.
2. Cold Water or Temperature Change
Run cool water over your hands or splash your face. This activates the vagus nerve and can quickly interrupt a spiral.
3. Weighted Items or Grounding Touch
Try a weighted blanket, heavy pillow across your lap, or placing one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Anything that brings awareness back into the body.
4. Walking Without Distraction
Move your body at a slow, intentional pace. Even five minutes helps. Try to leave your phone behind or switch to airplane mode. → This is a huge one for me personally. I fully believe in exercising your mind and and body.
5. Humming, Singing, or Gentle Vibration
The vagus nerve responds to sound. Humming or singing softly can create a subtle shift in your mood and body tension.
6. Low Dopamine Routines
Bring in soothing structure. I created a Low Dopamine Menu that helps me feel safe and focused when I’m overstimulated. It’s one of my favorite tools to reconnect with myself gently.
The Long Game: Creating Safety Over Time
Daily regulation isn't about doing everything right. It's about building small moments of consistency that your body can trust.
I’ve been exploring this work in deeper ways over the past year through Reiki, sound healing, and soft structure in my daily routines. One of the biggest shifts I’ve noticed has come from low-impact movement. My body responds so well to it. It feels like a way to care for myself without pushing or performing. It’s helped me reconnect with my energy, rebuild trust in my body, and recover in a way that actually lasts.
Here are some nervous system-supportive practices that build deeper resilience over time:
Low-impact, non-performative movement
Consistent wake and sleep rhythms
Nourishing meals and hydration
Journaling or checking in with your emotions
Therapeutic modalities like Reiki, sound healing, EMDR, or somatic therapy
Saying no without guilt
Every small choice you make to prioritize your capacity over your productivity is an act of healing.
A Reminder Before You Go
You don’t need to wait until you’re overwhelmed to tend to your nervous system.
You’re allowed to build routines that protect your peace even when things seem fine on the outside.
You’re allowed to rest before you’re tired.
You’re allowed to soften without explanation.
Let’s Stay Connected
New posts go live every Thursday at 6 PM MST. Tune in for weekly tools, insights, and slow rhythms to support your nervous system, your creativity, and your clarity.
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With calm and care,
Jess 🌿
Reiki Healer, Modern Wellness Writer & Founder of Vibrational Bloom
