Four Ways to Calm Your Nervous System

A practice card

Not a switch. Several ways to prompt the body's calming system beyond the breath — some better studied than others, and worth having more than one of.

When

When the usual slow-breathing advice isn't landing, or the body is too keyed up to focus on breath at all.

What's actually happening

The calming side of the nervous system can be reached through more than one channel. Deliberate muscle release is well studied; humming and firm pressure are commonly used and thought to work through related pathways. Having several ways in matters, because not every method works equally well for every body or every moment.

What to change

Hum, sing, or gargle for a minute. The vibration is thought to engage the same nerve involved in slowing the body down.

Tense a muscle group hard for a few seconds, then let it go completely. The release afterward often reaches further than relaxing straight away.

Let your eyes move slowly around the room, naming a few things you see. Confirming nothing here is a threat can ease the alert state.

Cross your arms and press firmly on your own shoulders, or wrap up in a blanket. Steady pressure tends to have a settling effect.

Where to start

roughly placed · humming is the fastest to try

Pick one

Four at once is how these lists fail. Tap a number — the ones up and to the left give the most for the least.

What to expect

No single one of these works for everyone every time — that's the point of having more than one. Pick one and use it on purpose for two weeks before deciding whether it's become a reliable option for you.

choose one, and the fortnight starts

This is a teaching, not treatment. If you’re struggling, a doctor or therapist can help. If you’re in danger right now, call your local emergency number or a crisis line (in the US, call or text 988).