How to Regulate Your Nervous System: 4 Simple Daily Practices

Your ability to regulate your emotions is directly wired into your nervous system. And whether yours is cool, calm, and collected, or fried as f*ck, your nervous system is the one calling the shots.

AND... an important thing to keep in mind is that it didn’t just end up that way overnight. When you grow up in a household where you felt like you had to be quiet to not upset mum or dad, shove down your emotions, be "brave," smile when you wanted to cry, or sweep sh*t under the rug to keep the peace—you’ll see it show up in your nervous system over time. That becomes your baseline, and has now likely become your “norm” as an adult.

What most people don’t realize is that stress actually shows up in two ways:

• Either as an immediate reaction to a threat or danger

• Or as a prolonged state: the kind that builds over time from pressure, trauma, or emotional suppression

When your nervous system is balanced and responsive, you’re way more equipped to process emotions in a healthy way. You can move through things without blowing up. But when it’s not balanced, you’ll find yourself reacting like a five-year-old, saying sh*t you don’t mean, and then spending the next day in a shame spiral over how you acted.

Because when your nervous system is under chronic stress—from past trauma, emotional pressure, or even the often unseen day-to-day overwhelm—it starts hijacking your emotional reactions. That’s when fight-or-flight kicks in over tiny things and your body treats minor stressors like full-blown emergencies.

And sometimes, emotional dysregulation isn’t even about the present moment, but rather, it’s your nervous system screaming SEE ME. When you’ve spent your whole life being invisible to others, not having your needs met, not being heard or validated or understood... those outbursts aren’t just “bad behavior". They’re a dysregulated nervous system and a part of you that’s desperate to be acknowledged.

Nervous system regulation is truly one of the best things you can do for yourself, your relationship, your health, your career, your sleep, skin, hormones, children, libido... the list goes on.

So, here are 4 of my favourite ways you can start implementing nervous system regulation into your daily life. These are small, simple practices, but when you actually do them regularly, they have a BIG impact. They literally retrain your body to feel safer, calmer, and more grounded day-to-day.

1. Put your feet in the grass and get into nature during the day.
   Take a break from the screen, step outside, and let your body reconnect with the earth. Seeing natural shapes instead of buildings, listening to the wind, and feeling the sun on your skin is medicine for your nervous system. Even five minutes barefoot in the grass can help your body shift out of “go-go-go” mode and into a calmer, more regulated state.
   
   

2. Stay off your phone for the first 30 minutes of the day.
   The second you pick up your phone, you’re training your brain to start chasing dopamine hits (emails, notifications, social media), which creates a cycle of addiction and withdrawal for the rest of the day. Instead, let your system wake up naturally. Drink your water, stretch, breathe. By staying off your phone, you give yourself a clear, calm baseline before the world comes rushing in.
   
   

3. Hum to stimulate the vagus nerve.
   It might feel silly, but humming is one of the easiest and most effective ways to regulate your nervous system. The vibration stimulates your vagus nerve–the main nerve that helps shift your body from fight-or-flight mode into rest-and-digest mode. Try humming in the shower, in the car, or even while making tea. You’ll notice your breath deepening and your body softening almost instantly.
   
   

4. Create a nighttime ritual.
   Your nervous system thrives on rhythm and signals of safety. A calming evening ritual tells your body, “It’s safe to unwind now.” Whether it’s sipping chamomile tea, dimming the lights, journaling, or stretching gently before bed—consistency is what matters. Over time, your body learns that night means rest, which improves sleep, mood, and overall regulation.
   
   

These practices might feel ridiculously simple, but when you do them consistently, your body begins to trust that it’s safe. And the more often your body feels safe, the easier it becomes to handle stress, regulate your emotions, and show up as the grounded, powerful version of yourself.

If you’d like to dive deeper into nervous system regulation (and why it’s not all about staying “zen” 24/7), this podcast nugget episode walks you through what nervous system regulation actually means, why your body needs to feel to heal, and how to get UN-stuck if you’ve been in a vicious cycle of constant healing.