Calming the Nervous System: Simple Somatic Tools

13 Jul Calming the Nervous System: Simple Somatic Tools

Calming the Nervous System: Simple Somatic Tools

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about stress and the many ways it can affect how we feel in midlife. You may have started noticing some patterns in your own life — things like sleep disruption, fatigue, brain fog, or feeling more easily overwhelmed than you used to. And I know many of you can relate to this. Sometimes it feels like your body is stuck in “go mode.” Even when you finally sit down to relax, your mind may still be racing or your body still feels tense. One of the most helpful things women learn when we begin working together is this: Your body needs signals of safety in order to relax. This is where the nervous system comes in.

Understanding Your Nervous System

Your nervous system is constantly scanning your environment and asking one simple question: “Am I safe?” When the body senses stress, pressure, or overwhelm, it activates the stress response, sometimes called the fight-or-flight response. This response is incredibly helpful in short bursts. It allows us to react quickly and handle challenges. But when that response stays activated for too long, the body can begin to feel stuck in a state of tension. This is when many women start experiencing symptoms like:

• feeling wired but tired • tight shoulders or neck tension • shallow breathing • digestive discomfort • difficulty falling asleep

The good news is that we can gently help the body shift out of this state. And we don’t need complicated routines to do it. Small somatic practices — simple body-based tools — can help calm the nervous system and bring the body back into balance.  

Somatic Tool #1: The Physiological Sigh

This is one of the fastest ways to calm the nervous system. Try this simple breathing pattern:

• Take a deep breath through your nose • Take a second short inhale • Slowly exhale through your mouth

Repeat this two or three times. This type of breathing helps release tension and signals to the body that it can begin to relax.

Somatic Tool #2: Hand-on-Heart Breathing

This is one of my favorite practices because it’s so simple. Place one hand over your heart and take a few slow breaths. Feel the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe. This gentle pressure helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for rest and recovery. Even one minute of this practice can help shift your body into a calmer state.

Somatic Tool #3: Shoulder Release

Stress often shows up in the shoulders and neck. Take a moment right now to gently roll your shoulders back and down a few times. You can also stretch your arms overhead or shake out your hands for a few seconds. It may seem simple, but releasing physical tension can help the nervous system relax. One woman recently shared something that made me smile. She said, “I never realized how tense my shoulders were until I started paying attention.” Once she began practicing small resets throughout the day, she noticed she felt calmer and slept better. Often, it’s not about doing more. It’s about giving your body small moments of reset throughout the day. Everyday I share with our wellness members that we don’t give stress enough credit for the havoc it wreaks on our bodies.  

This Week’s Tool: Your Daily Reset

Choose one somatic practice to try this week. You might:

• take three slow breaths before meals • do a quick shoulder reset between tasks • place your hand on your heart and breathe for a minute

These tiny moments of awareness can help your nervous system shift out of stress mode. And over time, they can make a meaningful difference in how your body feels.

Next Week

Next week we’ll talk about something that pairs beautifully with calming the nervous system: How nature and movement can be powerful stress medicine for the body. With Earth Day coming up, it’s the perfect time to explore how simple time outside can help regulate stress hormones and improve overall well-being. ______________________________________________________________________

If You’d Like to Connect

I work with women through my functional wellness practice where we help uncover the root causes behind symptoms like fatigue, hormone changes, inflammation, sleep disruption, and weight gain. When needed, we also use advanced testing, including saliva testing to evaluate adrenal function and cortisol patterns throughout the day, along with comprehensive bloodwork.

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