As we head into the holiday season, it important to notice our body’s physical and mental stress, fatigue and overwhelm. Often as we approach big holidays, our body lets us know what’s coming…but we can also find opportunities to nurture ourselves with the slowing/changing patterns around us…in our weather and light.
At its core, the nervous system is your body’s communication network. It constantly sends and receives signals to keep everything in your body from running smoothly. The central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) acts as the control center, processing information and making decisions.
The nervous system is designed to enable you to shift smoothly between states of alertness and relaxation. But modern life often overwhelms this system. Chronic stress, grief, past trauma, and even ongoing health challenges can trap the body in survival mode. Instead of moving fluidly between “fight or flight” and “rest and digest,” the system can get stuck, leaving you wired, exhausted, or both. Being stuck in a sympathetic state can have real physiological effects (physical symptoms), such as high blood pressure, metabolic issues, or stress and dysfunction of other organs like kidneys.
When this happens, symptoms show up not only in your mind but across the whole body: sleep issues like insomnia, gut problems like IBS, brain fog, anxiety, and a heightened sensitivity to stress. Over time, constant activation wears down the body’s resilience, making recovery harder and overall health decline.
When the nervous system gets stuck in patterns of stress, it can feel like you’re in an endless cycle of overwhelm. You can train your brain to break this cycle.
Try these methods on your own. I’ve added some explanations for some of those that you might be unfamiliar with.
~drink something warm
~watch a funny movie
~get adequate sleep
~stop the scroll
~try a new craft
~keep a gratitude journal (Try noticing 3 things every day)
~prioritize nourishing foods (It’s soup season!)
~cuddle with a pet…or someone else’s
~go for a walk
~watch the sunset/sunrise
~gardening
~read a good book
~have coffee/tea with friends
~get morning sunlight (30 mins, especially in the morning)
~daily meditation/prayer (try this from my friend Jill Weston)
~plan a fall outing (think apple picking or leaf collecting)
~experiment with a grounding practice (take your shoes off and stand in the grass)
~turn off the news
~use amber lights at night
~hug someone
~chew gum
~yoga/stretching
~get a massage (Check out our resources page)
~sing/listen to music you love
~dance to your favorite songs
~lay down and put your feet up against a wall
~breathwork
A simple pattern to try is inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts. Here’s how:
Find a comfortable position and relax your body.
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 counts.
Repeat this cycle for 2–3 minutes.~vagus nerve exercises
Vagus nerve exercises helps shift you into the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, and when practiced regularly, it can lower your baseline tension, making it easier to feel calm and recover from stress.
~humming
The vibration created when you hum helps stimulate the vagus nerve and promote relaxation. You can do this anywhere—quietly on a walk, while traveling, or at home.
~grounding:
Grounding is a quick and effective way to calm your nervous system by reconnecting with your body and the support beneath you. This simple practice can be as short or long as you’d like, whether you’re standing with your feet rooted into the floor, sitting back in a chair, or lying down on a yoga mat or bed.
The exercise begins with a few deep breaths and a sigh, then guides you to focus on the part of your body that is in contact with the surface beneath you. It might be your feet, your back, or your whole body if you’re lying down.
~tapping technique (lymphatic stimulation):
Lightly tap along the back and inside of each arm, move up toward the neck, then tap the center of the chest and under the arms near the rib cage. You might even notice a yawn, which is a natural sign that your nervous system is shifting toward relaxation!
~progressive muscle relaxation:
Tense a muscle group (for example, your shoulders or thighs) for 2–3 seconds.
Exhale with a sigh and release all tension from your muscles.
Move through areas of the body (shoulders, arms, stomach, legs), first creating tension and before releasing.
Each time, take a moment to notice the feeling of deeper relaxation, like stepping down a staircase.
In addition to these at-home practices, I highly recommend working with Karen Penfold of Full of Hope Yoga if you’re in the Sacramento area to help you in your nervous system regulation journey. She has worked with Together We Heal Community for many years and specializes in regulation the nervous system. She has a course on this exact topic HERE.
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