25 Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System in 2025

Our nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves and helps us with our unconscious actions. You may hear a lot of talk about the nervous system (think “fight or flight”), but why is it so important? 

Why do we want a regulated nervous system? 

Having a regulated nervous system will help you adapt to stressors and allow you to feel more balanced, calm, and ready to take on the day. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are often talked about because of their role in regulating. 

When you feel threatened, your sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear-this is your “fight or flight” response at its finest. When your body is in “fight or flight” (and the lesser talked-about “freeze” and “fawn”), your body is responding in such a way as to keep you safe. Heart rate goes up. Digestion slows. The part of your brain in charge of analyzing goes temporarily offline. 

Once the threat is gone, your body switches over to “rest and digest”—this is your parasympathetic nervous system. When your body is in “rest and digest”, your heart rate slows. Your prefrontal cortex comes back online. You can breathe deeper. 

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work together to balance each other out. However, sometimes we need to help maintain that balance. Here are some ideas of how to do so: 

1 Purposefully slow your movement down. 

2 Create the ultimate sensory corner (think warm blankets, hot tea, soft music) to unwind before bed. 

3 Find ways to move your body that are fun rather than focused on weight loss. 

4 Hold hands with a loved one. 

5 Wear headphones or earplugs to reduce overstimulation. 

6 Put time limits on your social media apps. 

7 Prioritize sleep. 

8 Invest in a weighted blanket or weighted stuffed animal. 

9 Walk barefoot more often. 

10 Decorate a DBT box and fill it with your favorite DBT items. 

11 Place your hand on your heart and take slow breaths as you drop your shoulders. 

12 Practice deep breathing from your diaphragm. Inhale for four seconds and exhale for 6. 

13 Pet a golden retriever. 😉

14 Dance. 

15 Listen to bilateral music. 

16 Stay connected in groups, like these.

17 Do 10 jumping jacks. 

18 Do a forward fold. 

19 Slowly rub your favorite lotion onto your hands. 

20 Sit in the sun for a few minutes. 

21 Close your eyes and hum. 

22 Give yourself a massage. 

23 Practice progressive muscle relaxation or butterfly tapping. 

24 Submerge your face in cold water. 

25 Laugh. 

What else would you add to the list?

*Blog posts are for educational purposes only and do not meant as a replacement for therapy.