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6 Essential Steps to Start Healing Your Nervous System

Updated: May 6, 2025



If you’ve been feeling stuck in survival mode, overwhelmed by stress, or unsure how to start your healing journey, you're not alone. Healing your nervous system is a holistic process that requires addressing multiple aspects of your well-being. Whether you’re just beginning or have been on this journey for a while, these six essential steps will help you regulate your nervous system and reclaim balance in your body.


Step 1: Prioritize Your Physiological Needs – Food & Sleep

Your nervous system controls vital functions, including your brain, heart, lungs, and digestion. If your body lacks proper nutrition and rest, it remains in a state of stress and survival.

  • Eat nutrient-dense meals – Prioritize whole foods, proteins, and healthy fats. If you’re unsure about your nutrient intake, consider lab testing to identify deficiencies.

  • Get at least 8 hours of quality sleep – Sleep deprivation affects your hormones, immune system, mood, and cognitive function. Create a nighttime routine to support deep, restorative sleep.


Step 2: Create Safety in Your Nervous System

A dysregulated nervous system remains in survival mode because it does not feel safe. To help shift into regulation:

  • Engage in sensory tools like weighted blankets or grounding techniques.

  • Use somatic practices such as voo sounds, orienting, and gentle movement.

  • Build healthy boundaries and seek environments that make you feel safe.

The more you nurture safety, the more your nervous system will understand that it’s no longer in danger.


Step 3: Connect with Your Body

Your nervous system communicates through sensations, not thoughts. This means healing requires reconnecting with your body.

  • Practice body scans to develop awareness of physical sensations.

  • Use somatic tools to help separate past trauma from present safety.

  • Move intentionally – yoga, stretching, and breathwork can support nervous system regulation.


If you're unsure where to start, join my free community sessions where I walk you through these tools.


Step 4: Release Stored Trauma

Nervous system dysregulation often stems from unprocessed trauma stored in the body. Trauma isn’t just about events; it’s about how your body holds on to past experiences.


As you process stored trauma, your nervous system can move toward a state of regulation and balance.


Step 5: Seek Community & Connection

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Humans are wired for connection, and community plays a critical role in nervous system regulation.

  • Spend time with people who make you feel safe, seen, and supported.

  • Join healing communities that understand your journey.

  • Consider support groups or spaces where nervous system healing is prioritized.

If you don’t have a supportive community, my free somatic community is open for you.


Step 6: Trust the Process

Healing your nervous system takes time. Progress may feel slow, but slower is always faster in this work.

  • Stay consistent with steps 1-5.

  • Be patient with your body and its healing timeline.

  • Acknowledge small wins – each step forward is a step toward deeper regulation.


Start Your Nervous System Healing Journey Today

By implementing these six steps, you’ll begin to shift out of survival mode and into a more balanced, regulated state. Whether you need guidance, support, or deeper healing, know that you’re not alone on this journey.


If you're ready to take the next step, book a Somatic Experiencing session or join my free community sessions to access somatic tools that will help regulate your nervous system.


Your body has the capacity to heal—start today.

MA License #: 11535 ~ RI License #: 01158

Copyright ©2021 Tatiana Szulc, LMHC.

All rights reserved.

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