I’m doing a new thing. It comes naturally. I begin each blog title with an affirmation I believe in. One that I think you’ll want to hear.

Then, I dive into writing about what is top of heart for me, in connection to you, the client.

Today, that is nervous system regulation.

It is amazing how we run around like chickens with our heads cut off all day, swimming in a stream of cortisol, and feeling like we don’t have a grip on life…when, we have inner software to drive ourselves into a much calmer, cooler, peaceful, and focused place. Today, you’ll learn seven ways you can soothe a frazzled nervous system.

Before I dive in, I’ll define and describe what a frazzled nervous system sounds and feels like. If you are like 90% of the human population, these are things you say without consciously noticing and things you feel crankily because you think you can’t do anything about it but pop a pill.

A frazzled nervous system sounds like:

  • “I feel out of control.”

  • “So and so is driving me nuts!”

  • “I am never going to get all of this work done.”

  • “I can’t stand this!”

  • “I’m outta my mind!"

A frazzled nervous system feels like:

  • Nausea (headache, twisted stomach, acid reflux)

  • Fever and/or Chills

  • Feeling overly awake mentally but exhausted physically, or vice-versa

  • Hunger and fullness cues being off (eating just because/”nervously”; overeating; under-eating)

  • Panic attacks or the beginnings of one (feeling shaky, dizzy, dissociated, ungrounded)

Now that you know what a frazzled nervous system sounds and feels like, we can go over how to tame it. In the morning meditations I do, Dr. Joe Dispenza describes the uncomfortable but necessary process of soothing your nervous system (via whatever method you choose) as ‘taming the stallion.’ Any unprocessed, repressed, deeply held trauma, disappointment, rage, etc. is clinging to your fascia and immune system and will take some bravery and patience to release and get reprieve. It is a process of undoing all humans must undertake if they want emotional freedom in their bodies.

Perform these exercises (as always, just start with one, whenever you notice yourself saying or feeling the things outlined above.

7 STRATEGIES TO SOOTHE YOUR FRAZZLED NERVOUS SYSTEM

① HORSE LIPS

Like a horse, bring your lips together and breathe out, making them flutter and vibrate as they let out as “brrrrrrr” sound.

② 4-7-8 Breathing

Made famous by Dr. Andrew Weil—though derived from the moment humans with nostrils were born and the yogic mind began to develop, it’s what it appears to be. You’ll breathe in for 4 seconds through your nose, hold the inhale for 7 seconds, and exhale out of your mouth for 8 seconds. It’s key to make a “whoosh” sound as you exhale, a sound akin to hushing a baby to sleep.

③ Cold Body Shock

There’s a spectrum here. You don’t have to do a full-body immersion in an ice bath (although I do want you to do that one day if you haven’t). Start with just splashing these two key areas: 1) your face 2) the back of your neck. This thermogenic wake-up will tell your Vagus Nerve—the master nerve for your nervous system, to “reset,” restoring your capacity to stay balanced, resilient, and focused.

④ Cold Mouth Shock

Chew on ice. It’s the combination of the crunch and the cold that does the trick. Just like the cold water on your body will shock you into the present moment, the cold temperature in your mouth will draw you into the. now. The internal crunching sound you generate will capture your focus, too. The temperature and texture anchors, working in tandem, will untether your stress and tame your stallion.

⑤ A Warm Embrace

If you have a friend or lover around, all the better. But if it is just the middle of the day and you are flying solo, wrap those loving arms around yourself and give yourself a warm hug. Studies show that a 1-min hug specifically reduces stress hormones, so hold on tight and don’t let go until 1 min is up.

⑥ Shake Out The Shit

Don’t hover over a toilet and give birth to a bowel movement.

This one is about dancing freely, letting your muscles hang and dangle from your bones, letting the blood flow freely through your veins, allowing whatever movement impulses come up to be expressed with full-throttle permission, no resistance. An easy way to start is just standing still and bounding into your knees and feet, letting your arms and head dangle. Notice where you are gripping (holding on to tension) and let go. Then let go again. And again. And again (am I starting to sound like Coach Herb Brooks?). Start slow, go faster, and faster and faster then finish with complete stillness.

⑦ PLAY. [even better if with others]

Do something fun and active that is not goal or destination-oriented.

Go to a playground and swing on a swing for heck’s sake.
Play with a bouncy ball.
Play hide-and-seek with your kids or cousins.
Jump on a trampoline.

A good compass for what will feel like play is the thing you, in your mind, have said is “too adult” to do right now.

Bottom line, you are a badass and you deserve to feel like one.

Let me know how these strategies do for you, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

In Sweetness,

Coach A

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.