Five Somatic Practices to Calm Your Nervous System
When life feels overwhelming, it can be hard to relax and get centered. Learning how to regulate your nervous system is a powerful way to shift from stress and anxiety into a state of calm and balance. Here are five simple somatic practices you can try to bring more ease and groundedness into your daily life.
1. Calming Breathwork
Breathwork is one of the quickest and most effective ways to regulate your nervous system. Two powerful techniques—box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing—can help you calm your body and mind.
Box Breathing:
This simple practice focuses the mind on counting while calming the nervous system.
Inhale through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of four.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of four.
Hold again for a count of four.
Repeat for one to three minutes to feel more grounded and present.
4-7-8 Breathing:
This method is especially helpful for signaling safety to the body, as the act of a longer exhale tells your nervous system it’s okay to relax.
Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of eight.
Practice this technique to ease anxiety or prepare for restful sleep.
2. Nature Grounding (Earthing)
Connecting with nature is deeply restorative. Walking barefoot on grass, dirt, or sand—known as earthing—helps ground your body and soothe your mind.
Take a few minutes to step outside, remove your shoes, and feel the natural surface beneath your feet. This simple act not only supports nervous system regulation but also fosters a sense of calm and connection to the earth.
3. Somatic Check-Ins
A somatic check-in is a powerful way to reconnect with your body by focusing on areas where you feel sensations tied to emotions. This practice brings awareness to physical feelings and helps release tension.
To try it:
Find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
Close your eyes and scan your body.
Focus your attention on areas where you notice sensations that may represent emotions, such as heat, cold, pressure, heaviness, tingling, or tightness. Often you will find emotion sensations in your torso, chest, or throat.
Breathe deeply into and around those areas, imagining your breath creating space and ease.
Remember to stay with the breath and the physical sensation, and not get caught up in thoughts or stories about what the sensation might mean.
This practice only takes a few minutes and can help you process emotions and regulate your nervous system.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation practice that helps release physical tension while calming the mind.
To try it:
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
Starting with your feet, tense each muscle group for a couple seconds, then release.
Move upward through your body—calves, thighs, abdomen, arms, shoulders, and face—tensing and relaxing each area.
This systematic release helps shift your nervous system from fight-or-flight mode into rest-and-digest, promoting a deep sense of calm.
5. Intentional Movement
When your body feels tense or restless, gentle movement can help release energy and restore balance. Intentional movement is about letting your body guide you, focusing on what feels good.
Try this:
Stand up, get on all fours in tabletop position, or simply lie on your back on a mat.
Begin stretching, swinging your arms, moving your hips, or exploring gentle, intuitive movements.
Stay present with the sensations in your body and let your movements flow naturally. Don’t worry about what you look like, just focus on the movement and the sensations of your body.
This practice not only releases tension but also reconnects you with your body in an enjoyable and freeing way.
Final Thoughts
Regulating your nervous system is about learning to respond to life’s challenges with greater balance and ease. These practices—breathwork, grounding, somatic check-ins, progressive muscle relaxation, and movement—are simple tools that can make a profound difference in how you feel.
Explore More: If you’d like to dive deeper into somatic practices and nervous system regulation, explore my Somatic Sessions or other resources to start your journey to lasting calm and connection.
