Introduction to nervous system regulation

In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to normalise feeling switched on, tense, reactive, or flat. Nervous system regulation is simply your ability to meet stress and return to a steady baseline again, automatically and without needing to manage yourself all day.

I’m Nicola Turner MSc, an experienced psychotherapist and founder of BodyMindBrain. I work 1:1 with adults who often know what they “should” be doing, breathing, exercise, meditation, therapy insights, yet their baseline still doesn’t settle reliably. That’s because stress isn’t only psychological; it’s a whole-system pattern across mind, brain, and body and can affect the way you feel, think, produce energy, breathe and move.

The good news is that regulation can be supported in two ways:

• Short-term tools that help you settle in the moment.

• Baseline training that changes how quickly your nervous system reacts and recovers overall.

Below are practical options—starting simple—plus the technologies I use when people arrive at a point where their self-regulation tools aren’t getting them the results they’d hoped for.

Practical tools that help in the moment

1) Breathing that downshifts the stress response

Slow, gentle breathing can signal safety to the nervous system and help your body move out of “go” mode. A straightforward option is a steady rhythm (for example, breathing in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds for 5 minutes). Keep it light and quiet rather than forced. When practised daily, many people notice a more stable stress response over time.

2) Release tension through somatic movement

Stress doesn’t just live in thoughts and emotions; it lives in muscle tone. When we’re under pressure, the body often braces without us noticing. Gentle somatic movement (slow, attentive movement that restores ease and mobility) can reduce tension and help you feel more settled and embodied, especially if you spend a lot of time thinking, working, and pushing through.

3) A daily “downshift” habit

Most people don’t need more techniques—they need a consistent downshift built into the day. That might be a walk outside, a screen-free wind-down, or 10 minutes of quiet before the evening starts. The goal is to stop arriving at bedtime still carrying the whole day in your nervous system.

Baseline builders that make regulation easier

Regulation becomes easier when your body has enough recovery capacity. If you only pick two foundations, pick these:

• Sleep and downtime: nervous system recovery is built in rest, not willpower.

• Regular movement and nasal deep breathing: not as punishment or optimisation, but as a reliable way to discharge stress and support energy.

Ultimately, nervous system regulation aims to help your body serve as a refuge from the challenges of life.

When the tools don’t stick

If you’ve done therapy, meditation, yoga, breathwork, yet you still feel reactive, anxious, or easily overwhelmed, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It often means your nervous system has learned a strong threat-based default. In that case, tools can help in the moment, but the baseline remains unchanged unless something trains the underlying patterns.

Technologies that reduce the effort

This is where technology can be genuinely helpful, as a way to reliably train regulation without requiring constant conscious input.

Neurofeedback supports the brain to shift out of habitual stress patterns and move toward a more balanced state over time. For many people, it’s the missing link when insight and coping strategies haven’t reliably changed the baseline.

IHHT (Intermittent Hypoxic-Hyperoxic Training) supports physiological recovery capacity through oxygen adaptation and mitochondrial renewal. This can be particularly relevant when stress is showing up as fatigue, poor recovery, or a body that feels “stuck on.”

EMS training (strength + mobility): supports physical resilience and reduces bracing patterns (link into your movement route).

How to start

If you’re not sure where to begin, start with a free 15-minute discovery call. Start here: Book your first session / assessment (link to Start Here).

About BodyMindBrain:

About BodyMindBrain
BodyMindBrain is a psychotherapist-led practice helping busy adults recover from chronic stress and build steadier energy and resilience. We combine practical psychology with nervous system and physiology training using tools such as neurofeedback and IHHT, to support calmer baseline regulation, faster recovery, and clearer thinking.