4 min readThe nervous system has become a fervent topic of conversation in the health industry. From contrast therapy and somatic workouts to the viral “low cortisol morning”—a concept championing the art of slowing down—there is now every trend imaginable to help curb stress levels. It's not surprising that the topic is booming: 74 percent of adults felt stressed in 2025, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Yet, overproductivity—think tracking, optimizing, and perfecting—is in fact the opposite of what the nervous system really needs to stay regulated. "People are trying to care for their nervous systems with the exact same energy that overwhelmed them in the first place," explains Nahid de Belgeonne, author, somatic educator, and nervous system strategist. "The nervous system doesn’t respond well to pressure disguised as self-care; this can actually just create more internal pressure."
A quick recap of the nervous system: it is the body's chief command center, transmitting messages from the brain to the body. “The nervous system is the body’s communication and adaptation system. It is constantly gathering information from both your internal and external environment and asking: Do I need to prepare, protect, mobilize, or is it safe enough?” adds de Belgeonne.
The nervous system is highly adaptive. “It learns from repetition," she shares, meaning that nonstop pressure, rushing, or over-functioning and overexertion will keep the body stuck in a stress loop. “Stress in that regard is never just psychological. It becomes physiological. The body itself starts organizing around the pace and demands of someone’s life,” she adds.
It's why the conversation around the nervous system is resonating so deeply. “Collectively, we are navigating a world in crisis, constant digital stimulation, information overload, hyper-responsiveness, chronic multitasking, and disrupted rest,” says de Belgeonne. “At the same time, many people are outwardly functioning while internally feeling exhausted, tense, or unable to properly switch off.” The nervous system conversation, she suggests, is landing because people are beginning to recognize that theirs is stuck in fight-or-flight mode.
The visible signs of a dysregulated nervous system include difficulty fully switching off, shallow breathing, jaw or shoulder tension, disrupted sleep, and an inability to switch off and relax. However, there are tangible ways to “reset” the nervous system—meaning shifting your body out of fight-or-flight (sympathetic) mode and into rest-and-digest (parasympathetic) mode.
Ahead, experts break down the simplest tools to help nurture, support, and reset an overactivated nervous system, leaving you feeling calmer and better equipped to handle daily stress triggers.
Six ways to reset your nervous system
Focus on one thing at a time
This was the advice I received from acupuncturist Ross J.Barrwhen my own cortisol levels were sky-high. It can feel near impossible when you are used to running around with 20 open tabs, trying to tick off everything at once.
“A healthier nervous system is not built through perfectly optimized routines. It’s built through a more sustainable relationship with pace, rest, movement, technology, and pressure,” urges de Belgeonne. She suggests: walking without constant input, eating without multitasking, reducing unnecessary urgency, and watching a film without scrolling. "The body adapts through repetition, rhythm, and lived experience, so often the most supportive things are also the least performative,” she adds.
Prioritize stillness
“I always encourage moments of sensory stillness throughout the day: softer lighting, less stimulation, grounding scents, warm baths, touch, and intentional pauses away from screens," adds Veronica Immink Gill, Mauli Rituals master bodyworker and lymphatic massage expert. "Ultimately, nervous system regulation is less about performance and more about permission to pause, soften, feel, and breathe again.” Anita Kaushal, the founder of Mauli Rituals, echoes this sentiment: “Set reminders on your phone to stop and be silent for a moment.”
Breathe slowly
As breathwork expert and practitioner Rob Rea explains, “the breath is one of the fastest ways to influence your nervous system state." He adds, "Chronic stress disrupts the natural cortisol curve. Instead of peaking in the morning and tapering off, cortisol remains elevated, flattening your rhythm. This can lead to wired-but-tired evenings, poor sleep, and low morning energy.”
To reset your nervous system, he says that in addition to reducing evening stimulation, breathwork can be the biggest game changer. He suggests slow, extended exhales (such as the 4–6 breathing method) to activate the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) system.
Contrast therapy
“Use cold exposure strategically,” shares Michal Cohen-Sagi, longevity architect and founder of Vidavii. "Short, controlled cold exposure can stimulate the vagus nerve and improve stress resilience over time. Meanwhile, heat exposure supports circulation and relaxation, helping the body shift out of stress mode,” he shares.
Try humming
It sounds simple, but the evidence behind humming as a nervous system tool is compelling. Humming produces vibrations that stimulate the vagus nerve, and research shows it can help lower stress levels. “Sound baths, humming, or low-frequency tones stimulate the vagus nerve through vibration and auditory pathways,” agrees Cohen-Sagi.
Social connection
“Social connection helps support a more settled physiological state,” suggests de Belgeonne. Meeting up with friends, spending time with your family, making a new friend, or enjoying time with a loved one—all of these social activities can trigger the release of the happy hormone oxytocin, promote the feeling of being safe, and, in turn, help switch off the fight-or-flight response.
As de Belgeonne concludes, the trick is simply to move away from self-improvement and focus on regulation.
