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Living in Los Angeles can feel like a lot—work stress, social pressure, and traffic that makes you want to scream. It’s easy to get stuck in your head and feel like you’re always on, never able to fully relax. That’s where nervous system regulation comes in.
Maybe you’ve tried deep breathing, meditation, or even therapy, but you still feel wired, tense, or exhausted for no real reason. That’s because nervous system regulation isn’t just about thinking your way into calm—it’s about teaching your body that it’s actually safe. If your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, no amount of “just relax” is going to cut it.
Your body needs more than just good advice—it needs real, body-based tools to shift out of stress mode and into a place where you can finally feel at ease.
If that sounds like you, here’s how to start giving your nervous system what it actually needs.
The first step to regulation? Noticing when you’re dysregulated in the first place. You can’t change what you don’t see.
Your nervous system reacts before your thoughts do—which is why you can feel stressed even when you know there’s nothing to worry about.
Throughout the day, ask yourself:
✔ How does my body feel right now? Are my shoulders tense? Is my jaw clenched?
✔ Am I breathing deeply or holding my breath?
✔ What just happened before I felt like this? Was it a text? A conversation?
Instead of judging your reactions, just notice them. This helps your brain build awareness of your patterns, so you can actually do something about them.
Your nervous system controls how safe or stressed you feel. When it works well, you can handle challenges without spiraling, relax when things are okay, and feel present instead of constantly on edge.
But if your nervous system is dysregulated—whether from chronic stress, past trauma, or years of over-functioning—you can get stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode without realizing it.
If you feel wired, tense, or totally frozen, your nervous system might need movement to reset. Stress doesn’t just live in your mind—it gets stored in your body, keeping you on edge even when nothing’s wrong.
Ever notice how dogs shake after a stressful event? That’s their nervous system discharging excess energy. Try shaking out your arms, legs, and shoulders for 30 seconds—your body will feel way lighter after.
Rhythmic movement (like walking or pacing) helps regulate your vagus nerve—the part of your nervous system that signals relaxation. Bonus points if you walk barefoot on grass (grounding) or pay attention to your surroundings instead of your phone.
Your body holds stress in specific areas (hello, tight jaw and tense shoulders). Slow, intentional stretching—especially spinal movements and chest openers—helps release stored tension.
If your body feels like it’s bracing all the time, try this: tense a muscle group (like your fists) for 5 seconds, then slowly release. Repeat through different areas of your body. This helps your nervous system learn how to let go of tension.
Your nervous system doesn’t just need stillness—it needs movement to fully reset.
➡ Looking for more body-based ways to regulate stress? Read more about Somatic Therapy in Los Angeles.
When I do this exercise with my clients, it is often met with some laughter and difficulty! When I ask, “Look around you and identify 5 things that you see,” that’s quite literally what I mean. I will then move on to ask 4 things that your body can physically feel, 3 things that you hear, 2 things that you smell (and if you don’t’ smell anything, pick something up and give it a big ol’ sniff!), and 1 thing you taste.
When my clients finish this exercise, I often ask them what thoughts they were focusing on – and point out that their thoughts were focused on the exercise and NOT on work, their relationships, or any other stressor.
Well, utilizing our 5 senses makes our body feel safe in the environment. It makes the body more aware of the environment. As children, we are constantly curious and consciously using our 5 senses to make sense of the world. As adults, we rarely check in with ourselves to truly acknowledge what our 5 senses are experiencing.
It’s something that we adults, me included, take for granted.
So go ahead and try it!
Your body loves big hugs, squishy blankets, and gentle pressure—because they tell your brain, “Hey, we’re safe.” When you feel stressed or overwhelmed, using deep pressure can help your body calm down fast.
Try this:
Wrap up like a burrito in a heavy blanket or wear a snug hoodie
Press your hands over your heart and take a deep breath
Lie on the floor with a pillow on your belly (sounds silly, but it works!)
Deep pressure is like a “calm down” button for your body. The more you do it, the easier it gets for your brain to remember that you’re okay.
Our nose isn’t just for smelling—it’s actually connected to the part of your brain that controls emotions. That’s why certain smells can instantly make you feel relaxed, happy, or more awake. Your brain picks up scents faster than words or thoughts, which is why smell can change your mood almost immediately.
Try this:
Lavender or chamomile when you need to feel calm, like a deep breath for your brain
Citrus or peppermint when you need more energy and focus, like a splash of cold water but without getting wet
A smell that reminds you of home or happy memories, like cookies baking or a lotion you loved as a kid, to help you feel safe and comforted
Our visual environment impacts your nervous system more than you think. Harsh lighting, clutter, and too much screen time can keep your stress response on high. Try:
Soft, warm lighting instead of bright overhead lights
Looking at nature (even a photo of trees or water can lower cortisol)
Focusing on a steady, unmoving object to create an internal sense of stabilit
Your body listens to sound before it even listens to your thoughts. That’s why music can make you feel calm, excited, or even emotional—it’s not just in your head, it’s in your nervous system. The sounds around you can actually help your body shift out of stress mode and into a place where you feel more at ease.
Try this:
Slow, steady music to help your heart rate slow down and match the rhythm
Binaural beats or white noise to give your brain something soothing to focus on
Humming or singing to send a message to your nervous system that you’re safe (your body actually listens to your own voice!)
Your nervous system isn’t meant to regulate on its own. It was designed to co-regulate with other people.
Think about it—babies don’t self-soothe. They learn how to regulate by being held, rocked, and spoken to in a calm voice. That’s co-regulation in action. And even as an adult, your nervous system is still wired to sync with the nervous systems around you.
If you feel instantly calm around certain friends, it’s because their nervous system is regulated, and yours is picking up on it. On the flip side, if you leave certain interactions feeling drained or more anxious, that’s your nervous system signaling dysregulation. Pay attention to who helps your system settle.
Your brain listens to voices way more than you realize. A calm, steady voice tells your body, “Hey, we’re good, we’re safe.” But a loud, sharp voice? That can send your nervous system into alarm mode.
If you’re feeling anxious, try:
Your body loves safe touch—it’s like a fast-pass to calm mode. When you touch something warm, soft, or comforting, your nervous system gets the message: relax, we’re okay.
Try this when you’re feeling tense:
No safe humans nearby? Animals can regulate your nervous system, too. This one is literally my favorite. Petting a dog, snuggling a cat, or even watching fish swim can slow your heart rate and lower stress hormones. If you don’t have a pet, head to a park, visit a friend’s pet, or even watch animal videos—your brain still gets some of the benefits!
Traditional therapy often works top-down (changing thoughts to change emotions), but somatic therapy works bottom-up—using breath, movement, sound, and body awareness to shift your emotional state without overanalyzing it.
Your body remembers stress and trauma even when your brain tries to move on. Somatic therapy helps your nervous system release stored stress, process unresolved trauma, and rewire old patterns so you can actually feel calm and safe instead of just trying to convince yourself you are.
Most people think healing is about talking through problems and thinking differently. And while mindset shifts can help, if your body still thinks it’s in danger, no amount of positive thinking will override that.
In somatic therapy, we don’t just talk about stress or trauma—we work with your nervous system directly to help you physically shift out of survival mode.
If you’ve been feeling stressed, worried, or exhausted for a long time, your body doesn’t just need to “push through” or “think happy thoughts.”
It needs real tools to help it slow down and feel safe again.
Nervous system regulation isn’t about forcing yourself to be calm—it’s about teaching your body that it doesn’t have to be on high alert all the time. When your body feels safe, your brain stops overthinking, you stop feeling so jumpy, and life just feels easier.
I work with people who:
If you’re seeking a trauma therapist in Los Angeles to help with nervous system regulation, feel free to reach out. I specialize in the treatment of anxiety, low self-esteem from insecure attachment style, “parts” work, and complex PTSD.
Your sympathetic nervous system is like your body’s natural alarm switch. When you feel scared, nervous, or excited, it turns on to help you react fast. It makes your heart beat faster, your breathing quicker, and your muscles tight so you can run, fight, or freeze if you need to. It’s your body’s way of keeping you safe, kind of like a fire alarm going off when there’s smoke. But sometimes, it goes off even when there’s no real danger, like before a test or when you feel shy. That’s when you can take deep breaths or shake it out to help your body feel safe again.
The parasympathetic nervous system is mostly known for its rest-and-digest response—it helps your body calm down after stress, slows your heart rate, and makes you feel safe again.
It also plays a role in the freeze response when something feels too overwhelming or scary. Instead of fight or flight, sometimes your body freezes—like when an animal plays dead to avoid danger. This can make you feel numb, stuck, or like you can’t move or think clearly. It happens when your nervous system thinks fighting or running won’t work, so it just shuts down to protect you.
If you ever feel frozen, doing things like moving your body, taking deep breaths, or even shaking out your hands can help wake your system back up!
Fixing a dysregulated nervous system takes time, and it’s different for everyone. If your nervous system has been stressed for a long time, it might take a while to feel better. Some people start feeling better in a few weeks, and for others, it can take months or even longer. Your body and brain need time to learn how to feel safe and calm again. But the good news is, the more you practice helping your nervous system, the easier it gets!
Ever notice how dogs shake after a stressful event? That’s their nervous system discharging excess energy. Try shaking out your arms, legs, and shoulders for 30 seconds—your body will feel way lighter after.
Rhythmic movement (like walking or pacing) helps regulate your vagus nerve—the part of your nervous system that signals relaxation. Bonus points if you walk barefoot on grass (grounding) or pay attention to your surroundings instead of your phone.
Your body holds stress in specific areas (hello, tight jaw and tense shoulders). Slow, intentional stretching—especially spinal movements and chest openers—helps release stored tension.
If your body feels like it’s bracing all the time, try this: tense a muscle group (like your fists) for 5 seconds, then slowly release. Repeat through different areas of your body. This helps your nervous system learn how to let go of tension.
Your nervous system doesn’t just need stillness—it needs movement to fully reset.
➡ Looking for more body-based ways to regulate stress? Read more about Somatic Therapy in Los Angeles.
