When you experience anxiety or overwhelm, your nervous system is overloaded and trying to cope with stress. The good news is that you can learn to regulate your nervous system by increasing your with self-awareness and some simple reset techniques. Here’s how:

Step 1 – Notice, Notice, Notice

Start to notice your triggers by becoming curious about what leads up to feelings of anxiety — without any judgment.

Pay attention to:

• The thoughts you were having before it happened.
• Your environment—where were you?
• Events or interactions that preceded it.
• Any familiar feelings that remind you of past experiences (e.g., vulnerability, rejection, conflict or fear).

Recognising these patterns will help you identify your triggers and help you learn to manage them more effectively.

Step 2 – Notice Bodily Cues and Emotions

Your body is trying to give you signals all the time so that your nervous system doesn’t become dysregulated. This awareness is called interoception — meaning the ability to sense your internal state.

Ask yourself:

• Do I feel sweaty?
• Is my heart racing?
• Am I struggling to concentrate or feeling fuzzy?
• Is my breathing fast and shallow or has my breathing slowed down?
• Do I have a dry mouth?
• Do I feel present in the moment?
• Am I anxious, restless or aggitated?
• Do I feel like running, fidgeting, or hiding?
• Do I feel angry, sad, scared or confused?

By regularly noting these cues, you can start to detect patterns and intervene before anxiety escalates. Keeping a journal to track these experiences will also help you process emotions that may have been left unexpressed. If you need an emotional reset to help you shift out of anxiety and get your mindset back on track, download my free guide here: Emotional Reset Journalling Exercise. Complete the activity whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious without knowing why.

Step 3 – Get Familiar with Your Window of Tolerance

Understanding your window of tolerance (how many feelings you can tolerate at any one time and still feel balanced and capable) is key to nervous system regulation.

• Am I within my window of tolerance?
• Have I moved out of my window of tolerance?
• Am I below the window, feeling low, fuzzy and a bit disconnected? – this is a sign to up-regulate your nervous system.
• Am I above my window, feeling anxious, stressed and overwhelmed? – this is a sign to down-regulate your nervous system.

Ways to Up-regulate the Nervous System:

If you’re feeling sluggish, disconnected, or foggy, try these techniques to increase alertness:

• 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise.
• Brisk movement like walking, running, dancing, or star jumps.
• Energizing Qigong – Watch an example here.
• Stimulating activities like drumming, singing, stretching, or listening to energising music.
• Cold exposure (splashing cold water on your face, using a cold flannel, drinking cold water, or taking a cold shower).
• Mental stimulation such as solving a quick puzzle.

Ways to Down-regulate the Nervous System

If you’re feeling anxious, restless, or overstimulated, these techniques can help to bring you back to calmess:

• Slow, deep breathing exercises like belly breathing or square breathing.
• Meditation or guided imagery – Listen to my grounding meditation on Insight Timer.
• Progressive muscle relaxation.
• Yin Yoga, Tai Chi, or relaxing Qigong to reconnect with your body awareness.
• Calming music that promotes deep relaxation and reduces anxiety.
• Spending time in nature to naturally lower stress levels.
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to relieve stress – Watch my video here.

Remember, awareness is the first step to change.

Nervous system regulation takes time, practice and consistency, but by noticing your triggers, tuning into your body, and understanding your window of tolerance, you can start to feel a bit more in control of your internal state. It’s also a very individual thing, so try a few different up-regulation and down-regulation techniques to see what works best for you.

If you want to increase your emotional vocabulary 👉 Get your free feelings wheel HERE

Or check out my blog to discover why is bottling up emotions a problem?

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