Top 11 'Nervous-System-Calming' Somatic Habits to try for Stress Relief After a Hectic Week
The week is finally over. You’ve pushed through deadlines, navigated endless meetings, and managed the constant hum of notifications. You should feel relieved, but instead, you feel… wired. Your shoulders are tight, your jaw is clenched, and a restless energy buzzes just beneath your skin. You’re physically and mentally exhausted, yet you can't seem to switch off.
This feeling is incredibly common. It's the signature of a nervous system stuck in overdrive. Throughout a hectic week, our bodies are constantly responding to stressors, activating the sympathetic nervous system—our "fight-or-flight" mode. The problem is, our bodies don't always get the memo that the danger (or the deadline) has passed. We end up carrying that tension, that high-alert state, right into our precious weekend.
But what if you could learn to speak your body's language? What if you had a toolkit of simple, intuitive practices to help your nervous system downshift, release stored stress, and find its way back to a state of calm and balance? This is the power of somatic habits—practices that focus on the internal sensations of your body to promote healing and stress relief. They are your direct line of communication to the part of your brain that understands safety not through words, but through feeling.
Here are 11 of our favourite nervous-system-calming somatic habits to help you unwind after a hectic week and reclaim your peace.
1. The Deep Belly Breath: Your Built-In Reset Button
The Habit: Diaphragmatic breathing, or "belly breathing," is the foundation of nervous system regulation. Unlike the shallow chest breathing we adopt when stressed, this deep breathing pattern directly stimulates the vagus nerve. This crucial nerve is the main highway of your parasympathetic nervous system, the "rest and digest" system that tells your entire body it's safe to relax.
When you intentionally slow down and deepen your breath, you send a powerful signal of safety from your body to your brain. This simple act can lower your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and halt the production of stress hormones like cortisol. It’s the fastest and most accessible way to interrupt a stress cycle and return to a state of equilibrium.
How to Try It:
Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, just below your rib cage. Close your eyes if you feel comfortable. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of four, focusing on letting your belly expand and push your hand outward. Your chest should remain relatively still. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six, feeling your belly gently fall. The key is to make the exhale longer than the inhale, which further enhances the calming effect. Repeat for 2-5 minutes.
2. The Body Scan: Becoming an Inner Explorer
The Habit: A body scan is a mindfulness practice that involves bringing gentle, non-judgmental awareness to each part of your body, one section at a time. The goal isn't to change anything you feel, but simply to notice. Stress often manifests as physical tension we are completely unaware of—a clenched jaw, raised shoulders, or a tight stomach. The body scan gently illuminates these hidden pockets of tension.
By bringing your attention to these sensations, you begin to rebuild your mind-body connection. This practice enhances your interoception—the ability to sense the internal state of your body. Improved interoception is directly linked to better emotional regulation and resilience. You're teaching your brain to listen to your body's subtle cues before they escalate into overwhelming stress or pain.
How to Try It:
Lie down comfortably on your back with your arms by your sides. Start by bringing your awareness to the toes on your left foot. Notice any sensations—warmth, coolness, tingling, pressure—without judging them. Slowly move your awareness up your left leg: to your foot, ankle, shin, knee, and thigh. Then, repeat the process with your right leg. Continue this gentle exploration through your pelvis, abdomen, chest, back, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face. If your mind wanders, gently guide it back to the part of the body you were focusing on.
3. Shaking It Off: A Primal Release
The Habit: Have you ever seen an animal shake its body after a scare? This isn't a random tic; it's an instinctual mechanism for discharging the immense surge of survival energy (adrenaline and cortisol) that floods the body during a stressful event. As humans, we often suppress this natural impulse, causing that energy to get "stuck" in our nervous system, leading to chronic tension and anxiety.
Therapeutic shaking, or tremoring, invites this instinct back in. By intentionally shaking your body, you give your nervous system a direct pathway to release pent-up energy, tension, and even residual trauma. It might feel silly at first, but it’s a profoundly effective way to reset your system and release stress on a deep, physiological level.
How to Try It:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Start by gently bouncing from your knees, letting your arms and shoulders be loose and relaxed. Allow the vibration to move through your whole body. You can put on some energetic music to help you let go. Let your body move however it wants to—shake your arms, your legs, your head (gently!), your torso. Do this for 5-10 minutes. When you're done, stand still for a moment and notice the sensations. You might feel a pleasant tingling, a sense of warmth, or a deep feeling of calm.
4. Grounding with the 5-4-3-2-1 Method
The Habit: When you're lost in a spiral of anxious thoughts about the past or future, grounding techniques pull you back into the safety of the present moment. The 5-4-3-2-1 method is a powerful somatic tool that does this by systematically engaging all your senses. It forces your brain to shift its focus from abstract worries to the concrete, tangible reality of your immediate environment.
This practice is incredibly effective for interrupting anxiety or panic because it anchors you in the "here and now." It sends a clear message to your nervous system: "Right now, in this moment, you are safe." It breaks the feedback loop where anxious thoughts create physical stress, which in turn fuels more anxious thoughts.
How to Try It:
Wherever you are, pause and gently notice:
- 5 things you can see: Look around and name them silently or aloud. (The blue pen, the grain of the wood on the desk, a leaf outside the window, my fingernails, the light switch.)
- 4 things you can feel: Bring your awareness to physical sensations. (The texture of your jeans, the smooth surface of your phone, the pressure of your feet on the floor, the gentle breeze from a fan.)
- 3 things you can hear: Listen closely to the sounds around you. (The hum of the refrigerator, a distant car, the sound of your own breathing.)
- 2 things you can smell: (The faint scent of coffee, the soap on your hands.)
- 1 thing you can taste: (The lingering taste of your lunch, or simply the neutral taste inside your mouth.)
5. Self-Soothing Touch: The Power of Safe Contact
The Habit: Gentle, supportive touch releases oxytocin, the "love hormone" that promotes feelings of safety, bonding, and calm. The wonderful thing is that you don't need someone else to provide it—your own touch can be just as powerful. Practices like the "Butterfly Hug" use self-touch and bilateral stimulation (alternating from left to right) to soothe an agitated nervous system.
This kind of intentional self-contact mimics the feeling of being held or comforted, directly signaling to your limbic (emotional) brain that you are safe and cared for. It’s a way of re-parenting your nervous system, offering the comfort it needs to stand down from high alert. In my practice, I find this is a technique clients, much like those seen by Goh Ling Yong, return to again and again for its immediate calming effect.
How to Try It:
Sit in a comfortable position. Cross your arms over your chest, with your right hand on your left shoulder (or upper arm) and your left hand on your right shoulder. Gently and slowly, begin to tap your shoulders in an alternating rhythm—left, right, left, right—like the slow flapping of a butterfly's wings. Breathe deeply as you do this for a few minutes. You can also try placing one hand on your heart and the other on your belly, simply feeling the warmth and gentle pressure while you breathe.
6. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
The Habit: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a practice that involves systematically tensing and then releasing different muscle groups throughout your body. This process has a dual effect: it forces you to notice the difference between tension and relaxation, and the act of releasing the contraction leads to a state of physical relaxation that is deeper than before you started.
For those of us who hold stress physically, PMR is a game-changer. It gives you a tangible, felt experience of letting go. By consciously engaging with your muscles in this way, you can release chronic tension you didn't even know you were holding and train your body to enter a state of deep rest more easily.
How to Try It:
Find a quiet place to sit or lie down. Start with your feet. Curl your toes tightly for 5-10 seconds, feeling the tension. Then, release the tension completely and notice the feeling of relaxation for 20-30 seconds. Next, move up to your calf muscles, tensing them and then releasing. Continue this process up through your body: thighs, glutes, abdomen, chest, back, hands (make a fist), arms, shoulders (shrug them up to your ears), neck, and face (scrunch it up).
7. Vocal Toning: Humming, Chanting, and Sighing
The Habit: The vibrations created by your own voice are a surprisingly powerful tool for calming your nervous system. Humming, chanting (like the sound "om"), or even letting out a deep, audible sigh directly stimulates the vocal cords and the surrounding tissues, which in turn vibrates the vagus nerve where it passes through your neck and chest.
This "vagal toning" helps to increase your vagal tone, which is a measure of your nervous system's ability to bounce back from stress. Think of it as a gentle internal massage for your primary calming nerve. It’s a simple, discreet, and effective way to shift your state anytime, anywhere.
How to Try It:
- Humming: Take a comfortable breath in. On the exhale, simply hum a low, gentle tone. Try to feel the vibration in your chest, throat, and head. Continue for a few minutes.
- Audible Sighs: Throughout the day, make a point of letting out long, deep, audible sighs. Inhale deeply, and on the exhale, release the air with a sound of relief, like "haaaaaa." This signals to your body that it's time to let go.
8. Mindful Movement: Connecting with Your Flow
The Habit: Stress and trauma can make us feel disconnected from or even unsafe in our bodies. Mindful movement is about gently re-inhabiting your body through slow, intentional motion. This could be a slow walk, gentle stretching, yoga, or even spontaneous dancing. The key is to shift the focus from what the movement looks like to what it feels like from the inside.
By paying close attention to the physical sensations of your muscles stretching, your feet connecting with the ground, or your spine lengthening, you anchor your awareness in your body. This fosters a sense of presence and agency, reminding your nervous system that you are in control and can move in ways that feel good and safe.
How to Try It:
Put on some calming music and find a space where you can move freely. Begin by gently stretching in whatever way feels good to you. Don't follow any rules; just listen to what your body is asking for. Maybe you want to roll your shoulders, sway your hips, or reach your arms to the sky. Focus on the sensation of each movement. If you're walking, pay attention to the feeling of your feet making contact with the ground and the subtle shift of weight with each step.
9. Orienting: Scanning for Safety
The Habit: Orienting is a foundational practice from Somatic Experiencing, a body-based therapy for trauma. It involves slowly and deliberately letting your eyes scan your environment. This mimics the instinctual behaviour of animals when they enter a new space—they look around to confirm they are safe before they relax.
For a nervous system stuck in a state of hypervigilance, the world can feel like a threatening place. The orienting response interrupts this by providing your brain with new sensory data—the calm, non-threatening reality of your current surroundings. It consciously signals to your brainstem, the most primitive part of your brain, that there are no immediate threats, giving it permission to stand down. As Goh Ling Yong often emphasizes in his work, true safety begins with this deep, physiological recognition of the present moment.
How to Try It:
Sit comfortably and let your head and eyes slowly scan the room. Let your gaze drift naturally, without fixing on anything for too long. Notice shapes, colours, textures, and sources of light. Let your eyes land on things that seem pleasant or neutral to you—a plant, a piece of art, the colour of the wall. As you look around, notice what happens inside your body. You might feel a subtle sigh, a softening in your shoulders, or a deeper breath. This is your nervous system beginning to down-regulate.
10. A Splash of Cold: The Dive Reflex
The Habit: Exposing your face to cold water triggers a fascinating physiological response called the mammalian dive reflex. This is an ancient reflex that helps mammals conserve oxygen when submerged in cold water. It instantly slows your heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and redirects blood flow to your vital organs.
While you’re not actually diving, you can hack this reflex to act as an emergency brake for anxiety or overwhelm. The sudden shift in sensation and the resulting physiological changes can quickly pull you out of a panicked state and bring a powerful sense of calm.
How to Try It:
Fill a bowl with cold water (you can add ice cubes to make it colder). Hold your breath, and submerge your face in the water for 15-30 seconds. Make sure the area around your nostrils and below your eyes is submerged, as this is where the key nerve receptors are. If you don't want to submerge your whole face, you can achieve a similar, albeit milder, effect by holding a cold pack or a bag of frozen peas over your eyes and cheeks, or simply by splashing your face with cold water.
11. Yawning and Pandiculation: Your Body's Natural Reset
The Habit: Think about what you do first thing in the morning: you yawn and stretch. This combined action is called pandiculation, and it’s your body’s natural way of resetting the nervous system. Yawning cools the brain and increases blood flow, while the full-body stretch releases muscle tension built up during periods of inactivity or stress.
We often suppress yawns in social situations, but consciously inviting them can be a powerful somatic release. It’s another way of listening to and honouring your body’s innate wisdom for self-regulation. Allowing yourself a full, satisfying, jaw-stretching yawn and a deep, full-body stretch is a simple act of self-care that signals a transition from a state of tension to one of ease.
How to Try It:
You can actually trigger a yawn. Simply open your mouth wide as if you were about to yawn. Often, this is enough to start a real one. When you feel a yawn coming on, don't stifle it. Let it be big and satisfying. As you yawn, reach your arms overhead or out to the sides for a full-body stretch. Feel your spine lengthen and your muscles engage, and then relax completely on the exhale. Do this several times throughout the day, especially when you feel tense or tired.
Your Body Holds the Key
Your nervous system is not your enemy. It is a brilliant, responsive system designed to keep you safe. The key to stress relief isn't to fight against its responses, but to learn how to work with them—to offer your body the signals of safety and care it needs to downshift from a state of high alert.
Don't feel pressured to try all of these habits at once. Start by picking one that sounds the most appealing or accessible to you right now. Maybe it’s taking three deep belly breaths before your next email, or doing a quick body scan before you fall asleep tonight. The goal is to build small, consistent moments of somatic awareness into your life.
Over time, these practices will strengthen your mind-body connection and build your capacity for self-regulation. You'll become more attuned to your body's signals and more confident in your ability to find your way back to calm, no matter how hectic the week gets.
Which of these somatic habits are you most curious to try? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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