6 Simple Somatic Practices to Regulate Your Nervous System
Simple tools to calm your body + mind
You don’t always need to do more to feel better.
Sometimes, what your body is asking for… is to slow down, to listen, and to gently come back into safety. That may sound like a tall task when you are feeling a trigger arise, or an elevation of stress. And it can also be really simple to give yourself support in the moment.
Your nervous system and the intelligence of your fascia is constantly responding to your environment—processing stress, stimulation, emotions, and experiences, whether you’re consciously aware of it or not.
And when it becomes dysregulated, it can show up as:
feeling anxious or on edge
brain fog or lack of clarity
burnout or exhaustion
emotional reactivity
trouble sleeping or fully relaxing
muscle pain or tension
The goal isn’t to “fix” your nervous system. And it’s also not to eliminate stress all together. Rather, the goal is to build up your internal capacity to navigate stressful moments with more ease and resources.
These 6 simple somatic practices give you some quick support to build a relationship with your body, with your fascia and your nervous system to find more calm.
Somatic practices are one of the most powerful ways to do that—because they work with the body, not just the mind.
Here are six simple, accessible practices you can start using today:
1. Box Breathing
Your breath is one of the fastest ways to communicate safety to your system.
Box breathing helps regulate your nervous system by slowing your heart rate and bringing you back into the present moment.
How to practice:
I often guide clients to find a comfortable seat for this, but you can also practice this standing. This is a gentle breathing exercise that helps bring awareness to your internal system. The consistency of the 4-breaths helps your system find support in a matter of moments.
Inhale for 4
Hold for 4
Exhale for 4
Hold for 4
Repeat for 2–5 minutes
Keep it gentle. No forcing. Let your breath guide you back to yourself.
2. Tapping
Also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), tapping helps regulate the nervous system by combining light touch with awareness.
It’s especially supportive when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally activated.
This video takes you through an EFT Tapping Exercise.
How to practice:
Gently tap along points like the side of your hand, collarbone, or under your eyes
As you tap, name what you’re feeling:
“Even though I feel overwhelmed, I’m safe right now.”
You’re not trying to bypass the feeling—you’re creating space for it to move.
3. Orienting (to signal safety to your body)
When your nervous system is in a stress response, it often perceives threat—even when you’re safe.
Orienting brings you back into your environment and reminds your body: you’re okay.
How to practice:
Slowly look around the room you are in.
Notice 5 things you see
Notice 4 things you hear
Notice 3 things you can touch and their texture
Notice 2 things you smell
Let your eyes land on things that feel neutral or pleasant
Take your time here. This is about re-establishing safety through awareness.
4. Grounding Through the Body
When you feel scattered or disconnected, grounding helps bring your awareness back into your body.
How to practice:
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly
Feel the weight of your body
Notice the rise and fall of your chest under your hand or belly (or both)
Press your feet gently into the floor
You can also lie down or sit against a wall for added support.
Let your body be felt.
5. Shaking or Free Movement
Stress isn’t just mental—it’s physiological. And this is one of my favorite practices to discharge energy…
If it doesn’t move, it stays.
Gentle shaking or intuitive movement helps release excess energy and bring your system back into balance.
How to practice:
Stand and gently shake out your arms, legs, or whole body
Or put on music and move intuitively for a few minutes (1 or 2 songs is great!)
This doesn’t need to look like anything.
Let your body lead.
6. Lengthened Exhale Breathing (to down-regulate)
If your nervous system feels activated, focusing on a longer exhale can help bring it back into a more regulated state.
How to practice:
Inhale for 4
Exhale for 6–8
Repeat for a few minutes
The longer exhale signals to your body that it’s safe to soften.
A gentle reminder
These practices aren’t about doing them perfectly.
They’re about building awareness and connection to your body.. This is an invitation to feel the aliveness in your system.
This is about noticing what your body needs—and responding with care instead of control.
Start small.
Pick one or two that resonate and integrate them into your day.
Consistency matters more than intensity.
Want to go deeper?
If you’re starting to recognize patterns of dysregulation in your body, that awareness is powerful.
And you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I created a free resource to support you in identifying where your energy is being depleted and how to begin shifting it.
Download The Energy Audit™
A simple, guided workbook to help you understand your patterns, reconnect with your body, and create more clarity and capacity in your life.