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Start Soothing Your Nervous System in 5 Minutes a Day

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March 10, 2025•1 min read

How to Start Soothing Your Nervous System in 5 Minutes a Day

Regulating your nervous system doesn't have to be time-consuming. In just five minutes a day, you can interrupt stress patterns and bring yourself back to balance. When we experience stress, our nervous system quickly upregulates into fight-or-flight mode. The key to soothing it is reassuring your body that all is well.

Two Simple Techniques for Instant Calm

  1. Cold Water Reset: Splash cool water on your wrists, or hold a cold glass against your palms for a few seconds. This triggers your body's natural dive reflex, slowing your heart rate and signalling to your nervous system that it's safe to settle.

  2. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding: Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This pulls your attention out of racing thoughts and back into your body, in under a minute.

By using these simple techniques throughout your day, you can pause, which stops stress from escalating and train your nervous system to return to a state of ease.

Want to dive deeper? You'll find plenty more regulation techniques, including the practices that changed things most for me personally, in my book Your Calm Compass. Or, if you'd like personal support, book a free discovery call to explore The Reset.

With love,
Sarah
Yoga Health and Wellness®

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