5 Everyday Practices to Calm Your Nervous System After Trauma

Oct 22

Introduction

After trauma, it’s common to feel like your body is working against you — racing thoughts, tight muscles, a pounding heart, or the inability to fully relax even in safe situations.

That’s because trauma doesn’t just live in your mind — it lives in your nervous system. When the body doesn’t get the message that the danger is over, it stays on alert long after the event has passed.

In this article, we’ll explore 5 everyday practices to calm your nervous system after trauma, based on proven therapy methods and neuroscience. By the end, you’ll understand why your body feels stuck in survival mode and how to begin retraining it for safety and peace.

Understanding the Nervous System After Trauma

The human body is wired for survival. When something traumatic happens, your autonomic nervous system (ANS) — specifically the sympathetic branch — floods you with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to help you fight, flee, or freeze.

But here’s the problem: if the body doesn’t receive a clear “all clear” signal afterward, it remains partially activated. That means your system stays hypervigilant — scanning for threats even when you’re safe.

This can lead to:

Chronic anxiety or fatigue
Difficulty sleeping
Muscle tension
Digestive issues
Emotional numbness or irritability

The good news? The nervous system is retrainable. With gentle, consistent practice, you can teach your body that safety is the new normal again.

1. Grounding Through the Senses

Grounding reconnects you to the present — a simple yet powerful way to tell your brain, “I’m safe right now.”

Try this 5–4–3–2–1 technique whenever you feel anxious or disconnected:

5: Name five things you can see
4: Name four things you can touch
3: Name three things you can hear
2: Name two things you can smell
1: Name one thing you can taste

Why it works:
Grounding shifts your focus from the thinking brain to the sensing body, interrupting flashbacks and anxiety loops. It activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for logic and calm.

Therapist tip: Pair grounding with deep, slow exhalations to amplify the calming effect.

2. Breathwork to Activate the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is like your body’s built-in “calm switch.” It runs from your brainstem down through your chest and abdomen, influencing heart rate, digestion, and emotional regulation.

You can activate it through a simple breathing technique called 4–6 breathing:

Inhale slowly for 4 seconds
Exhale gently for 6 seconds
Repeat for 2–5 minutes

Why it works:
Longer exhales stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system — your “rest and digest” mode. Studies show this pattern lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels.

Therapist tip: Try placing a hand on your chest and another on your stomach. Feel your breath move lower into your belly — that’s diaphragmatic breathing, which calms the body faster.

3. Gentle Movement to Release Stored Tension

When trauma energy isn’t released, it gets stored as muscle tension, shallow breathing, and physical discomfort. Movement gives your body a safe outlet to complete those unfinished stress responses.

Options include:

Walking in nature — rhythmic movement lowers cortisol.
Stretching or yoga — especially poses that open the chest and hips (where tension often hides).
Shaking therapy — gently shaking arms and legs releases adrenaline and resets your body’s rhythm.

Why it works:
Movement re-engages the body-brain connection and helps metabolize stress hormones. Even 10 minutes of intentional movement can shift your mood and physiology.

Therapist tip: Move slowly. If you notice emotions arise, pause and breathe. The goal isn’t intensity — it’s release.

4. Co-Regulation Through Safe Connection

Humans are wired to regulate together. Long before we learned language, our nervous systems relied on eye contact, tone of voice, and touch to feel safe.

If you’ve experienced trauma, your body might distrust connection. But rebuilding safety with others is one of the most powerful healing tools available.

Try:

Talking with a trusted friend or therapist while focusing on slow breathing.
Spending time with a calm pet.
Listening to a soothing voice or gentle music.

Why it works:
These actions stimulate the social engagement system — part of the vagus nerve — which signals safety through connection. Over time, your nervous system learns that calm is contagious.

Therapist tip: You don’t need deep conversation — presence itself is enough. Simply being with someone grounded helps your system settle.

5. Create a Daily “Safety Ritual”

Consistency teaches the nervous system predictability — something trauma often destroys. A simple daily ritual provides a structure that reinforces safety.

Ideas include:

Lighting a candle and journaling for five minutes.
Drinking tea slowly in silence before bed.
Starting your day with gentle stretching and intention-setting.

Why it works:
Rituals activate neural pathways of safety and routine, helping your body shift out of chaos. They signal: “The world is steady, and I can trust myself here.”

Therapist tip: Keep it simple and repeat daily — small consistency matters more than duration.

Putting It All Together: Rebuilding Safety from the Inside Out

You don’t have to overhaul your entire life to start healing.
Each of these techniques gently retrains your nervous system, one moment at a time.

The more you practice:

The faster your body will recover from stress.
The easier it will be to feel calm in daily life.
The more control you’ll regain over how you respond — not just react.

At Golden Roots Therapy, we help clients in Saint Paul, Mahtomedi, and the East Metro rebuild their nervous system’s sense of safety using trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, and mindfulness-based techniques.

If you’re ready to feel grounded again, schedule your consultation today.

Nick Hartje