Have you ever found yourself trapped in stress, anxiety, or overwhelm, searching for a way back to calm? In our modern world, stress has become almost inescapable—but it doesn’t have to be.
The key lies in understanding your nervous system and learning how to gently reset it.
Your nervous system is your body's master control center, orchestrating every function—from digestion and immunity to emotional resilience and stress responses. It operates largely through two primary states:
- Sympathetic (Fight-or-Flight): When stress or perceived threats arise, your body goes into high alert, preparing to respond quickly.
- Parasympathetic (Rest-and-Digest): This calm, healing state allows your body to restore, heal, and recover.
Chronic stress often keeps your nervous system locked in sympathetic overdrive.
At REV Optimal Living, we specialize in gently guiding your body back into balance through neural integration and holistic chiropractic care.
But there are also simple practices you can implement at home, every day, to reset your nervous system and encourage it to spend more time in the calming parasympathetic state.
In this blog, we’re sharing five easy, effective tools that you can start using immediately—and a surprising bonus tip you might not have considered!
1. Conscious Breathing: Your Built-In Calming Tool
Breathing consciously is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to shift your nervous system out of stress mode. Your breath directly communicates with your autonomic nervous system, signaling it to either ramp up or calm down.
How to Do It:
- Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold again for 4 seconds. Repeat this cycle several times to calm stress and boost clarity.
- Extended Exhale Breathing: Inhale gently through the nose for 4 seconds, then exhale slowly through the mouth for 6-8 seconds. This longer exhale naturally triggers your parasympathetic nervous system.
When to Practice: Ideally, practice daily—even during calm periods—to retrain your nervous system into a consistent state of relaxation.
2. Cold Exposure: A Quick Reset Button
While plunging into cold water might initially sound stressful, controlled cold exposure significantly boosts your body’s stress resilience. This practice helps shift your nervous system quickly into a calm, focused state.
How to Do It:
- Take a 30-second to 2-minute cold shower, focusing on slow, controlled breathing throughout.
- For an easier start, simply splash cold water on your face or wrists to stimulate your parasympathetic system.
The Science: Research shows regular cold exposure decreases inflammation, improves circulation, boosts mood, and enhances your body's ability to manage stress, making it an incredible holistic tool.
3. Gentle Movement: Activate Calm Through the Body
Movement is medicine for your nervous system. Gentle activities like stretching, restorative yoga, or a mindful walk are powerful ways to release stored stress and guide your body into coherence.
How to Do It:
- Try 10-15 minutes of gentle stretching each morning or evening.
- Walk mindfully for 20 minutes daily, ideally outdoors, connecting to nature.
At REV, we've observed clients significantly improve their overall stress resilience when they consistently integrate gentle movement with somatic chiropractic care.
4. Grounding: Reconnecting with Nature's Rhythms
Grounding (or earthing) involves direct contact with the Earth, allowing your body to absorb the planet's natural electrical frequencies. These frequencies have profound calming effects, immediately bringing your nervous system back into coherence.
How to Do It:
- Walk barefoot on grass, sand, or soil for at least 10 minutes daily.
- Spend mindful time in nature, actively noticing sounds, sensations, and smells around you.
Research Says: Grounding has been scientifically shown to reduce inflammation, improve sleep, decrease stress hormones, and positively impact mood and immune function.
5. Gratitude Practice: Shifting Your Mindset, Shifting Your Physiology
Regularly expressing gratitude isn’t just good for your mood—it physically changes your nervous system, shifting your physiology toward calm and resilience.
How to Do It:
- Each morning or evening, write down three things you're grateful for.
- Practice daily verbal gratitude, sharing appreciation directly with loved ones.
Practicing gratitude consistently helps your nervous system find its baseline of calm, enhancing your overall emotional and physical health.
Bonus: Singing or Humming (Yes, Really!)
Here's the unexpected bonus tip we promised: singing or humming regularly, even quietly to yourself, significantly impacts your nervous system.
How It Works:
The act of humming stimulates the vagus nerve—your body's master nerve for parasympathetic activation. The vibration created through humming or softly singing sends calming signals throughout your nervous system, promoting relaxation and coherence.
How to Do It:
- Gently hum your favorite tune for several minutes each day.
- Sing softly while cooking, showering, or driving to create spontaneous nervous system resets.
This simple practice is not just enjoyable—it genuinely trains your nervous system to favor calmness over stress.
Retrain Your Nervous System for Lasting Calm
While these tools are powerful in moments of acute stress or anxiety, the magic truly happens when you incorporate them regularly, even when you're already feeling calm.
Each time you intentionally enter the parasympathetic state, you're teaching your nervous system that calm, coherence, and relaxation are your natural defaults—not stress and tension.
At REV, our gentle holistic chiropractic care and neural integration work beautifully alongside these practices, creating powerful synergy for your nervous system’s healing journey.
We witness firsthand how individuals who regularly reset their nervous systems experience deeper healing, greater stress resilience, improved sleep, and enhanced emotional well-being.
When your nervous system regularly experiences relaxation and balance, it learns to stay in that state more easily and naturally.
Consistency is key—the more often you visit the parasympathetic state, the more your nervous system recognizes it as "home."
Ready to Experience True Nervous System Coherence?
If you’re seeking deeper support to reset and harmonize your nervous system, non-invasive chiropractic care at REV can help amplify your body's natural healing capacity.
Our approach provides profound shifts, helping your nervous system unwind accumulated stress and trauma patterns, creating lasting peace and well-being. Our Google Reviews echo this!
Your nervous system holds the keys to your vitality, resilience, and overall health—start giving it the gentle resets it needs daily. If you're ready to step into a new level of health, we warmly invite you to connect with us.
Book your first neural integration session and discover how extraordinary non-cracking chiropractic care can feel. And click here to watch our Youtube Jam Session on Stress Management!
–
ps. Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter. Weekly, we'll send you game-changing tips, thoughtful recommendations, and include topics that will help you embody your best self. No spam - ever. Click here to subscribe!
Disclaimer: This blog is meant for informational & entertainment purposes only, and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare practitioner before making any changes or if you have any questions regarding information provided.
