Regulate Your Nervous System
Managing stress is the key to regulating your nervous system. These 13 habits will rewire your nervous system for resilience, calm, and overall wellbeing.
1. Go for long zone 1 or zone 2 cardio walks
Walking for just 15-20 minutes daily can help release endorphins to promote a balanced and recalibrated nervous system. Think of walking, or regular muscle contractions, as a way to process your blood glucose or blood sugar levels essentially where your muscle soaks it up as fuel to power your walk. Bonus points if you get some form of movement involving muscle contractions (push ups, squats, walking) every 30 minutes in the day for 2-5 minutes (think of them as “exercise snacks”) instead of having one long walk in the evening.
2. Wake up early in the morning
Waking up early in the morning allows you to work on your to-do list with clear energy and focus. This can be work related, for spiritual growth, part of your self-care morning routine to de-stress and regulate your nervous system, or for anything that you have decided to prioritize in your life. Once you prioritize completing the big items on your to-do list early in the morning, this will regulate your nervous system so that you don’t feel stressed during the day to finish completing the smaller tasks. Completing tasks from your to-do list *especially early in the morning* gives you a dopamine hit that you actually deserve instead of the cheap dopamine fix of doom scrolling or excessive refined sugar intake.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لأُمَّتِي فِي بُكُورِهَا
It was narrated from Sakhr Al-Ghamidi that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings (i.e., what they do early in the morning).”
3. Take a warm then end on cold shower
You don’t need to spend the whole shower under freezing cold water. If you’re a female and care about your hormone health, it’s best to skip the ice cold plunge and opt for a warm then end on cold shower. The method to do this is to begin your shower with warm water and end on cold for the last 1-3 minutes. Make sure to end with cold and allow the water to hit the front and back of your neck, where part of the vagus nerve is located, for about 1-3 minutes. The way to do this is to slowly turn the knob to lukewarm cold then during the last two minutes to the lowest cold temperature possible, make sure to ease into it to not immediately activate your sympathetic nervous system. During the last part of your shower, you may also choose to focus on your breathing using the breath work method below. Using this method, after you leave the shower you should feel refreshed as if you just went swimming for an hour.
4. Nourish and support your gut microbiome health and diversity
Rebalance the gut and overall health with sleep to regulate the gut-brain axis, nutritious diet to support a healthy gut microbiome, exercise/movement to improve gut motility to aid digestion + nutrient absorption, and implement stress management techniques to maintain a balanced and diverse gut microbiome.
Consume: soluble and insoluble fiber, polyphenols, antioxidants, fermented foods, probiotic/butyrate supplements.
Most fibrous foods have a combination of both types, some are higher in one or the other.
Soluble fiber attracts water and becomes gel-like during digestion. It softens stool and makes it easier to pass and can also slow digestion and absorption of nutrients. It is found in foods such as oats (opt for glyphosate free and sprouted oats), barley, seeds, beans, lentils, peas and some fruits and vegetables. Cooked fruits and vegetables are especially good sources of soluble fiber (ie. pears, apricots, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, etc.)
Psyllium husk is also a soluble fiber that can be added to foods or taken as a supplement.
Insoluble fiber tends not to change texture or dissolve in water and adds bulk to stool. It is often associated with passing more quickly through the digestive system. Good sources of insoluble fiber include most fruits (with peels) and vegetables such as apples, berries, coconut, broccoli, leafy greens, radishes, as well as grains, nuts and seeds.
Opt for a glass water bottle always. Glass over stainless steel as well as plastic. Many water bottles say they are BPA-free but contain BPS which is just as harmful and can negatively affect your overall health.
5. Head into the sauna
Not only is sweating a great tool for nervous system regulation, it’s also a great way to support your detoxification pathways from toxins such as BPA, BPS, and heavy metals. Your kidneys and liver do a great job of doing this naturally, however in this day and age with the enormous amount of toxins present in daily life, your body needs all the extra detoxification support it can get. Aim for a 15-20 minute sauna session 2-3 times per week to help activate heat shock proteins (HSPs) which play a role in cellular repair as well as faster muscle recovery and repair.
6. Breathwork
Diaphragmatic Breathing aka abdominal breathing: not only does this help support the nervous system, it also helps with digestion. The simplest method is to make sure you exhale longer than you inhale in order to activate the parasympathetic nervous system also known as the “rest and digest” state. Make sure to constantly check in with yourself and your heart rate through out the day — repeat when necessary. the simple act of intentionally focusing on your breath can have ripple positive effects on your stress response and entire system.
The goal here is to regularly activate your parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system response rather than the default sympathetic “fight or flight” response that you are likely experiencing. There are studies that show how regular breath work and parasympathetic nervous system dominance can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, inflammation, anxiety/stress, and improve digestion and mood.
The Physiological Sigh: one deep inhale, immediately followed by another sharp inhale, and a long, slow, sighing exhale for five minutes.
7. Meditate
This can be a walking meditation or any form of meditation that involves checking in with yourself by slowing down your heart rate.
8. Journal it
Journaling can provide clarity and a sense of control in your life leading to a regulated nervous system. You don’t need a physical pen and paper to do this. Using your notes app is a simple and easy way to get your thoughts directly from your mind to an outside medium.
9. Aromatherapy
Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, and frankincense can have calming effects. Use a diffuser or inhale the scents to promote relaxation.
10. Lying down on the floor
In a way, this could be a way of grounding yourself to the earth, the floor, the carpet, or whatever is beneath you. Benefits of lying down on the floor include decompressing your spine after a long day, releasing any tension in your body, and allowing your body to slip into it’s parasympathetic state or rest and digest state. I call this floor time or corpse pose in yoga. Since the position is different than what I’m used to seeing all day, it allows my brain to focus on different ways of viewing a certain situation or problem.
Tip: If you’re feeling a bit stressed and want to shift into your parasympathetic state (rest and digest) while working on your laptop. Put a pillow on the floor, lie down on your back, place your head on the pillow, grab your laptop and prop it up on your knees that are bended at an angle (knees towards your chest and ankles crossed at your legs slightly hovering above the ground. Then, type away! This should feel more relaxing since you’ve got blood, oxygen, and nutrients circulating more effectively to your brain.
11. Buy a lockbox for your phone/tech
Just lock it for a couple of hours if you need some peace of mind or to recenter yourself. Your nervous system will thank you. Delete the apps, mute all notifications, lock your phone, put your phone on DND — everything and everyone can wait. Connect with God.
Note: every time you check your phone for a notification or text message (which is a quick and cheap dopamine hit that makes you feel like you’re being productive) what you may be thinking is only 5-10 minutes here or there is actually a one hour loss of focus and energy.
12. Trusting in whatever Allah has decreed for you
Once you understand that nothing is ever in your hands and everything is within God’s hands, you learn to rely on and put trust in something greater than yourself. You willingly and lovingly surrender to whatever God wants for you which is the best outcome possible. Having full trust and surrendering to a higher power allows you to have moments of pure wholesome bliss that is completely free from anxiety. The biggest anxiety and stress management/resilience hack is having complete tawwakul (trust and reliance in whatever God has decreed for you) as well as reciting the morning and evening adhkar on a consistent basis. Sometimes all you need is a perspective shift to bring your nervous system back into its parasympathetic state – the calm “rest and digest” state.
يا حي يا قيوم برحمتك أستغيث ، أصلح لي شأني كله ، ولا تكلني إلى نفسي طرفة عين
“O The Ever Living The Sustainer, I seek assistance through your mercy, rectify all of my affairs for me and don’t entrust me to myself even for the blink of an eye.”
13. Consume caffeinated drinks after a blood sugar stabilizing meal (protein + fiber rich)
One thing about me, I will never give up my caffeine intake completely. My caffeine of choice is a sweetened latte with honey. Try to consume it after meals that include some sort of highly bioavailable source of protein as well as fiber. A health tip for any sweetened beverage, dessert, or heavy carb option is to dilute a tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar into 8 ounces of filtered water. Consume before and/or after caffeinated beverage, dessert, or carb heavy meals to help with digestion and stable blood sugar leading to smoother energy levels.
Targeted supplements to help with managing stress
Discuss supplements with your dietitian to determine which will be the best fit for you. Always consult your healthcare provider prior to beginning a new supplement.
- Phosphatidylserine: recommended dosage is 100-200 mg daily or during times when cortisol peaks in the evening to help reduce levels. You can view your cortisol patterns mapped out throughout the day by viewing your DUTCH test results. To learn more about DUTCH testing to assess hormone health click here.
- Cortisol Manager: contains Ashwagandha and Phosphatidylserine.
- Magnesium Glycinate: in the evening to support relaxation and optimal sleep.
- Cortisol Calm: contains Ashwagandha (adaptogen for stress) and L-theanine.
- L-Theanine: to support relaxation and restful sleep.
- Liposomal Apigenin: the bioavailable form of apigenin (the liposomal delivery enhances absorption) and it is a flavonoid found in chamomile designed to reduce anxiety and stress, promote relaxation, and supports deep, restful sleep.
You may order from my supplement dispensary below through Fullscript’s catalog where each brand and product meets strict top quality standards. You can learn more about third party testing here.
My supplement dispensary is linked here and you do not need to be a client to place an order.