tools i’m using to help regulate my nervous system
why do i care?
In case you’re new here, my husband and I have been trying to start our family for the past 6 months. So far, we’ve been unsuccessful, but every month we make more improvements to hopefully get closer to the month.
After running a marathon in December of 2024 plus 2 half marathons in April of 2025, my body has been in major recovery mode rather than major baby making mode.
But I’m finally changing that and starting the healing process, mainly of my nervous system.
For anyone that feels like they’re constantly in the red on Garmin/Whoop or like you’re dragging half the time you’re awake... maybe some of these tools can also help you.
why it matters
When I talk about nervous system regulation, I’m really talking about improving my parasympathetic nervous system.
Aka, allowing my body to experience more of the rest and digest mode rather than fight or flight mode. Sound familiar?
When our parasympathetic state is optimized, our heart rate and breathing slow down, blood pressure drops, and digestion kicks into gear thanks to an increase in digestive enzymes.
Think of it like your muscles starting to loosen up all over, as a way for our bodies to tell us we’re safe now, let’s chill and recover.”
Unfortunately, our lives don’t allow us to be in that parasympathetic zone as often as we’d like.
tool #1: consistent bedtime + sleep routine
This tool is the foundation of everything. If you’re not sleeping enough every night, your body is going to have a hard time regulating.
Our entire body relies on our circadian rhythm to drive our ability to recover effectively. If your circadian rhythm is constantly changing, it’s no wonder your body doesn’t know which way is up.
Having the same bedtime and wake time every day is the key to building a foundation for success here, more so than just getting 8 hours of sleep.
The key here: you don’t want a crazy variation from weekdays to weekends. Aim for the same 2-hour span for bedtime and wake-ups every day. If you’re regulated, you shouldn’t feel that need to sleep in or stay up late on the weekends anyway!
tool #2: sunlight first thing in the morning
This tool originally came from Andrew Huberman’s podcast from 2021 called Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake.
This is a bonus feature for consistency in bedtime and wake times because getting sunlight in the morning helps us reset our circadian rhythm.
At the end of the day, our bodies are simple: wake up when it’s light outside, go to sleep when it’s dark outside. Getting sunlight in the morning just helps reinforce this, especially if you’re sitting at a computer all day long.
The best part? It only takes about 5 minutes of sunlight in the morning to actually make a difference. And if it’s not sunny, you can still go outside to enforce the habit.
tool #3: meditation
I’ll be honest, I definitely hesitated when I put this as tool number 3 because I’ve been so opposed to adding this into my routine.
Why? Because it’s really hard.
But effective meditation can actually turn on your parasympathetic nervous system as you focus on mindfulness and deep breathing.
And luckily, there are tons of different forms of meditation that you can try. I like to use a guided meditation in small 5-10 minute sessions.
I also have found that using a mobility session as another form of meditation has been extremely effective for me personally. I love to use the Pliability app for this, as there is a new session planned each day.
tool #4: low impact movement & exercise
Coming from a running background, cutting back my exercise is always the thing I resist the most, especially considering I am a running coach.
So far, I’ve found that without running, my body likes me a lot more than it used to. Now, my weekly workouts include low-intensity bodybuilding-style lifting + pilates + walking.
My HRV has increased almost 20 BPM, my resting heart rate has decreased 5-6 BPM, and training readiness has gone from mid-to-low 80s to consistently above 90. While I don’t completely rely on my Garmin for everything, this is notable data (3+ years with the same watch).
Note: you don’t have to stop running, but maybe less volume isn’t a bad idea if you’re struggling.
tool #5: no caffeine
Haha, I bet you read that title and said “okay ya lost me there, byeeee!!” But hear me out.
When it came to cutting out caffeine for me, it all stemmed from trying to find some regulation in my mood, and especially that energy lull I felt in the afternoons every day (usually leading me to another coffee).
Without caffeine, I get more deep and REM sleep, which has been noticeably incredible for my daily recovery. But more than that, I don’t feel the need to rely on a cup of coffee every day before I do anything else. And while I still love that ritual, it truly does feel freeing to not need it.
I started with cutting back from 2 to 1 coffees a day, then to decaf only, and now I have a decaf on special occasions. It’s a process. But it’s worth it.
the goal
This post isn’t meant to make you feel bad about yourself, but rather it is here to make you question if you’re truly living your best life right now or if you’re in your own way like I was for so long.
Regulating my nervous system is something I always thought was woo woo and not necessary, as I felt I was recovering well and functioning properly since my menstrual cycle was regular and I was sleeping 8 hours a night consistently.
But you truly don’t realize how dysregulated you are until you’re on the other side of it.
And now that I’m here, I can say that I was completely blinded by other goals rather than actually looking at the under-recovery in my data.
