If you feel your nervous system needs a reset, try one or more of the following:
1. Slow down. Gentle, mindful, and deliberate movements signal safety to your nervous system and the nervous systems around you.
2. Check in with your internal state, are you feeling flighty and stimulated, shut down and dissociated, or grounded and calm? Bringing awareness to your state can also bring compassion and understanding.
3. Give yourself a squeeze for containment, right hand under the left armpit, and left hand on the right shoulder.
4. Hum or sing your favorite song to self-soothe.
5. Take yourself for a walk and notice 5 colors, 4 sounds, and 3 bodily sensations.
6. Phone a friend to find safety in connection and co-regulation.
7. Step outside and scan the horizon with your eyes, slowly turning your head from side to side.
8. Get outside and put your bare feet on the ground (when it's safe to do so).
9. Sit in the sun and let the heat relax tense muscles.
10. Swinging in a hammock or rocking in a chair can help return a soothing rhythm to your internal organs.
Of course there are many ways to up- and down- regulate your nervous system. These are just a few examples to give you some ideas. Lasting regulation and true healing happen in connection, but when we need to self-regulate, we have some easy tools to reach for.