What Nervous System Regulation Really Means

When we talk about “nervous system regulation,” we’re talking about your body’s ability to move between stress, calm, activation, and rest in a way that feels manageable and aligned. Regulation doesn’t mean staying calm all the time; it means having the capacity to shift states without feeling overwhelmed or shut down.

Your autonomic nervous system is always working behind the scenes. When we give it more support—through awareness, breath, movement, and compassion—we expand our capacity to meet life as it is, not as we fear it might be. In this series, we’ll explore simple, grounded ways to understand and support your nervous system so you can navigate stress with more steadiness.

The autonomic nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system controls our “fight or flight” responses and the parasympathetic nervous system brings us to “rest and digest” or “freeze” responses.

Being more aware of your body and its sensation can help you determine when you are activated and this allows you to identify which strategic somatic tools to use to bring yourself into a more regulated state. Again, the goal isn’t to PREVENT activation, but to support yourself through it to a more regulated state.