“Your nervous system isn’t broken—it’s just stuck in an old pattern that no longer serves you.”
Your heart races for no apparent reason. Your mind won’t stop spinning. You feel simultaneously wired and exhausted, like you’re running on empty but can’t seem to slow down. Your body feels like it’s constantly braced for impact, even when you’re perfectly safe.
If this sounds familiar, you’re likely experiencing what we call nervous system overwhelm—a state where your body’s natural stress response system has become stuck in high gear. You’re not alone in this experience, and more importantly, you’re not powerless to change it.
As a somatic therapist working with clients across Ireland and internationally, I’ve witnessed countless individuals transform their relationship with anxiety and stress through understanding and working with their nervous system. Today, I want to share how somatic approaches can help you find the calm, regulated state your body is desperately seeking.
Understanding Your Autonomic Nervous System
Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is like your body’s internal security system, constantly scanning for safety and threat. It operates largely below conscious awareness, automatically adjusting your heart rate, breathing, digestion, and other vital functions based on what it perceives in your environment.
The ANS has two main branches:
Sympathetic Nervous System: Your “accelerator pedal”—activates during stress, increasing heart rate, sharpening focus, and preparing you for action. This is your fight-or-flight response.
Parasympathetic Nervous System: Your “brake pedal”—activates during calm periods, slowing heart rate, improving digestion, and promoting rest and restoration.
In a healthy nervous system, these two branches work in harmony, activating and deactivating as needed. But chronic stress, trauma, or prolonged overwhelm can cause the sympathetic system to become hyperactive, leaving you feeling constantly “on” with no way to truly relax.
When Your Security System Gets Confused
Modern life presents unique challenges to our nervous systems. We’re dealing with stressors our ancestors never faced: constant connectivity, information overload, social media pressure, environmental toxins, and the general pace of contemporary living.
Your nervous system, evolved for occasional acute threats, may struggle to differentiate between a deadline at work and a physical danger. The result? Chronic activation that leaves you feeling anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
The Body’s Role in Anxiety and Stress
Traditional approaches to anxiety often focus primarily on thoughts and emotions. While these aspects are important, somatic therapy recognizes that anxiety lives in your body first. The physical sensations—racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension—aren’t just symptoms of anxiety; they’re often the driving force behind it.
Your body’s responses to stress happen faster than conscious thought. By the time you’re aware of feeling anxious, your nervous system has already been activated for several seconds or even minutes. This is why trying to think your way out of anxiety isn’t always effective—your body needs to feel safe before your mind can truly relax.
The Somatic Perspective on Nervous System Healing
Somatic therapy works with your body’s innate wisdom to restore natural nervous system regulation. Rather than trying to override your body’s responses, we work with them, helping your system remember its natural capacity for self-regulation.
Key principles of somatic nervous system work include:
Building Nervous System Resilience: Increasing your capacity to handle stress without becoming overwhelmedDischarge and Release: Safely releasing trapped stress and tension from your body Regulation Skills: Learning practical tools to shift your nervous system state in real-time Safety Signaling: Teaching your body to recognize and respond to genuine safety
Common Signs of Nervous System Overwhelm
Nervous system overwhelm manifests differently for different people, but common experiences include:
Physical Symptoms
- Racing or irregular heartbeat
- Shallow, rapid breathing
- Chronic muscle tension (especially neck, shoulders, jaw)
- Digestive issues or stomach problems
- Sleep disturbances or insomnia
- Fatigue despite feeling “wired”
- Headaches or migraines
- Sensitivity to light, sound, or touch
Emotional and Mental Symptoms
- Persistent anxiety or worry
- Difficulty concentrating or “brain fog”
- Feeling overwhelmed by normal tasks
- Irritability or mood swings
- Feeling disconnected or “not quite present”
- Hypervigilance or constantly scanning for problems
Behavioral Symptoms
- Difficulty relaxing or “turning off”
- Avoiding social situations or activities you used to enjoy
- Increased use of substances (caffeine, alcohol, etc.) to regulate mood
- Compulsive behaviors or inability to sit still
- Changes in appetite or eating patterns
Somatic Techniques for Nervous System Regulation
The beautiful thing about somatic work is that your body already knows how to regulate itself—it just needs reminding and support. Here are some fundamental techniques:
Conscious Breathing for Regulation
Your breath is the most accessible tool for nervous system regulation. Unlike your heartbeat, which is automatic, breathing bridges conscious and unconscious control.
The Regulation Breath: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6-8 counts. The longer exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system, signaling safety to your body.
Progressive Muscle Release
Tension and stress become trapped in muscle tissue. Conscious tensing and releasing helps discharge this stored activation.
The Squeeze and Release: Starting with your toes, systematically tense each muscle group for 5 seconds, then completely release. Notice the contrast between tension and relaxation.
Grounding and Orientation
When your nervous system is overwhelmed, you may feel disconnected from your body and environment. Grounding practices help restore this connection.
5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste. This helps your nervous system orient to present-moment safety.
Gentle Movement and Shaking
In nature, animals discharge stress through spontaneous movement and shaking. Humans often suppress these natural responses, leading to trapped activation.
Conscious Shaking: Starting with your hands, gently shake different parts of your body. Let the shaking be natural and spontaneous, allowing your body to release trapped energy.
Creating Safety in Your Nervous System
For lasting change, your nervous system needs to learn that it’s genuinely safe to relax. This requires consistent signals of safety over time.
Environmental Safety
- Create calm, organized spaces in your home
- Minimize exposure to overwhelming stimuli when possible
- Establish regular routines that your nervous system can predict
- Surround yourself with people who feel safe and supportive
Internal Safety Practices
- Regular nervous system regulation practices
- Gentle, self-compassionate inner dialogue
- Honoring your body’s needs for rest and restoration
- Building mastery over regulation tools
The Role of Professional Support
While self-regulation tools are invaluable, sometimes nervous system overwhelm requires professional support. Somatic therapy can provide:
- Personalized assessment of your unique nervous system patterns
- Guided nervous system regulation in a safe, supportive environment
- Trauma-informed approaches for addressing root causes of overwhelm
- Integration support for lasting change
Working with a somatic therapist can accelerate your healing process and provide you with sophisticated tools for managing your unique nervous system.
Guided Practice for Nervous System Calm
I’ve created a somatic meditation specifically designed to help calm an overwhelmed nervous system. This gentle practice guides you through progressive relaxation, breath regulation, and nervous system reset techniques.
Building Long-Term Nervous System Resilience
Healing an overwhelmed nervous system isn’t about never feeling stress again—it’s about building resilience and flexibility in how you respond to life’s challenges.
Resilient nervous systems can:
- Activate appropriately when facing real challenges
- Return to calm once the challenge has passed
- Maintain perspective during difficult times
- Access joy, creativity, and connection even amid stress
Daily Practices for Nervous System Health
Morning Regulation: Start each day with gentle breathing or movement to set a calm tone Midday Reset: Take brief breaks to check in with your nervous system and make adjustments Evening Discharge: Use techniques to release the day’s accumulated stress Sleep Hygiene: Create conditions that support nervous system restoration during sleep
Integration and Healing
Your overwhelmed nervous system developed these patterns for good reasons—likely to protect you during challenging times. Honor this protective impulse while gently teaching your system new, more flexible responses.
Healing happens in the space between activation and calm, in the moments where you practice new patterns of response. Each time you successfully regulate your nervous system, you’re building new neural pathways and increasing your capacity for resilience.
Remember: your nervous system’s sensitivity isn’t a flaw—it’s often a sign of intelligence and awareness. With proper support and regulation tools, this sensitivity can become one of your greatest assets for navigating life with wisdom and grace.
Your nervous system wants to feel safe, calm, and regulated. With patience, practice, and perhaps professional support, you can help it remember its natural capacity for peace.
