Let’s be real, living off-grid is not always the easiest. There are cold nights, dirty blankets, frozen drinking water, and mice invasions. When I was living in my van, there was the stress of finding somewhere new to sleep every night. Of not knowing where you can legally go to the bathroom, or if the parking lot you are in allows over night camping.
And as someone who has come from the corporate world, with a job that took way too much of my energy, I have lived a lot of my life with an imbalanced nervous system. With a nervous system that kept me acting out of fight mode, instead of living with faith.
Living with a dysregulated nervous system means you are constantly living in fight or flight mode. Although these perceived threats might be simple (an email from your boss, late because of traffic, or a partner that didn’t do what they said they would do), your body shifts into sympathetic mode. This keeps your cortisol levels high, your heart rate elevated, and your stress levels even higher.
When you can regulate your nervous system, your body feels safe. It will activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which will in turn help your body switch from survival mode to restoration mode. This is crucial for healing, restoration, hormone balance, and digestion to work properly.
So what are some ways you can easily reset your nervous system, no matter where you are in life?
5 Nervous System Reset Techniques That Will Change Your Life
Breathe With Intention
Deep and slow breathing is one of the quickest ways to help a dysregulated nervous system. Take a few moments and practice truly intentional, deep breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose. Imagine your lungs filling up with precious air. Deep breathing signals to your brain that you are safe, which will lower your cortisol levels and heart rate.
Calm has a great article that includes 10 types of breathing exercises and how to practice them.
Get Quality Sleep
Proper sleep is crucial for your physical, mental, and emotional health. It is necessary for your body to properly heal itself and function to its fullest capacity. Getting good sleep is not just about the hours slept, but also the quality of your sleep.
Some tips for getting good quality sleep:
- Stick to a consistent schedule
- Do not watch TV or use screens before bed
- Avoid napping during the day
- Don’t eat leading up to going to bed
- Listen to calming sounds when going to bed
- Keep your room dark & cool
Practice Grounding Techniques
Grounding yourself is crucial to keeping the overwhelm and overstimulation at a minimum, and in turn keeping your nervous system regulated. There are many simple grounding techniques that can be used.
One of the best, scientifically proven, grounding techniques is simple. Go outside and put your bare feet directly on the ground.
Another method of grounding, which is great for anxiety, is the 5-4-3-2-1 method. This method is simple and really brings you back to the present moment. You will:
- Name 5 things you see.
- Name 4 things you can touch.
- Name 3 things you hear.
- Name 2 things you can smell.
- Name 1 thing you can taste.
Move Your Body Gently
Moving your body gently (I am not talking power lifting or hot yoga classes), is proven to help regulate your nervous system.
Try going on a walk, doing some gentle stretches, dancing around your kitchen, or swimming in water. These gentle forms of movement will show your body that you are safe and that you can relax.
Simplmobility has a great article that explains how movement regulates your nervous system, and the relationship between the two.
Hum, Chant, Or Sing
Humming, chanting, and singing activates the vagus nerve, which activates the relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system) and helps the body move out of the fight-or-flight response.
The sound waves we create travel through bone and tissue, through the hollow spaces of our head and chest, and into the very wiring of our autonomic nervous system. Those vibrations reach and nudge the vagus nerve, invite the parasympathetic nervous system online, soften muscular tension, open the breath, and gently quiet your busy mind.
Protecting your nervous system is one of the most important things you can do for your physical, mental, and emotional health. It is not enough to think about relaxing, you must actually do the techniques that actually reset your nervous system.
