Nervous System Care
If you are a college student going back to college, these beginning days, weeks, months can be super overwhelming. You might be stuck in survival mode, fight or flight. There’s so much external stimulation that you might always feel heightened emotions. Which is okay, and super normal. But, it can also be helpful to just take a few moments to take care of yourself. I call this caring for your nervous system, so you can experience a little bit of regulation and peace, which helps immensely with anxiety and stress. You know best what works best for you, but I’ll list some practices that can be helpful. You can start with just a few minutes. Often I think oh I’m so busy I don’t have time, but then I spend like 30 minutes scrolling on my phone which does nothing good for my mental health & wellbeing.
Some ideas are:
Restorative yoga poses or even a restorative yoga class. Restorative yoga is meant to fully relax the body, and therefore the mind. It is done with little movement, and incorporates very comfortable, soothing postures. Google some poses and do it in the comfort of your own space, or find a class to go to. Restorative classes are my favorite to teach, and it is a very popular style for college students.
Breathing techniques
4,7,8: Breathe in for 4, hold for 7, breathe out for 8
Box breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4
Belly breathing: breathe from your belly rather than chest. Allow belly to lift on an in breathe, fall on the exhale
Alternate nostril breathing- look it up! Hard to explain :)
3. Somatic movements
Alternate shoulder tapping: sit or lie down, make a cross with your arms on your chest. Right hand will be just below left shoulder, left hand below right shoulder. Then slowly tap one side and then the other. This can mimic a slow heart rate, and soothe yourself
Sway side to side
Finger tapping: tap each finger to thumb slowly. Can also just tap index and thumb, while alternating hands
Heal drops: while standing up, lift your heels (stand on tiptoes), drop heals down to the ground and repeats
Cold showers shock the system into parasympathetic responses. Not my favorite, but could be something to try!
4. Movement
If movement is grounding to you, it can be a great thing to incorporate. Often people feel like walking is a form of mediation. Yoga, running, walking, swimming etc. can all be nervous system care, if it’s done in a compassionate way. Make sure you aren’t using it as punishment.
5. Meditation
Insight timer is a great app with thousands of free guided meditations!
6. Go outside
Sometimes a change of scenery, especially in fresh air is just what we need to relax.
