Nervous System Care for Sensitive People
I know, I know, it's the year of the Fire Horse and we're all getting ready to gallop ahead and chase our dreams with a burning desire in our bellies. But, I'd also love it if, as we're cantering towards the next goal post, we also take time to pause and connect with our bodies.
We can only hold as much as our nervous systems can handle and so, here's some of my tried and tested practices to stay regulated whilst I'm also galloping after my own lofty goals...
Side note: If you’re sensitive and emotionally attuned, like me, chances are your nervous system takes a hit more than most. You notice tone shifts, subtle energy, unspoken emotions — and over time, that adds up.
One thing I’ve learned, both through research and lived experience, is that nervous system practices (just like any new habits) are far more effective when they’re woven into what you’re already doing. We don't need more intensity or discipline, we need softness, predictability, and practices that don’t overwhelm us further.
When regulation becomes another task on an already full list, it’s often the first thing to drop. But when it’s attached to an existing routine, it has a chance to become something your body actually craves. You may have heard of habit stacking before? Well, here's a few gentle ways to do that, without changing your whole life:
Hum in the shower
Sensitive systems respond strongly to sound and vibration. The shower is already a place of warmth and privacy — adding sound can deepen that sense of soothing. Humming or softly sighing stimulates the vagus nerve without requiring focus or effort.
Meditate while your tea or coffee cools
A favourite ritual of mine - making a cup of tea first thing in the morning and then sneaking back to bed for a 10 minute meditation whilst it cools.
Cold water at the end of your shower
A brief burst of cold can help build nervous system resilience. For sensitive people, this might mean cool (not icy) water on the feet or wrists, or a few seconds at the end of a shower. The key is choice, not force.
Shake or stretch while dinner cooks
Gentle shaking or intuitive movement helps release stress that’s been held in the body, especially when you’ve been sitting or concentrating for long periods. On the days when you have little energy for big movement; gentle swaying, stretching, or slow dancing works wonders. Sensitive systems often need expression more than exertion.
Soft visual anchoring between tasks
Let your gaze rest on something calming — trees outside a window, steam rising from a cup, candlelight. Visual softness reduces sensory load.
Long exhale breathing while waiting
Traffic lights, queues, loading screens. Longer exhales tell your nervous system there’s no immediate threat.
Your nervous system doesn’t need fixing. It needs signals of safety, offered routinely, with compassion.
Regulation doesn’t come from doing more — it comes from doing things differently. Small cues, repeated often, tell your body that it’s safe enough to slow down.
And that’s where real change begins.
