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Do you ever feel a bit frazzled as you head into a new year after a hectic holiday season?
Often, the start of the new year turns into an anxiety-ridden obstacle course of cleaning up after the holidays and setting new goals for the New Year. What should be a fresh start turns into a time of stress and anxiety.
Do I Need To Reset My Nervous System?
Your nervous system is designed to keep you safe, help you survive perceived threats and danger, and respond to these stressors appropriately. This system is constantly processing information, responding to threats and opportunities, and relaxing and calming you when the stressor is over.1
There are two parts of your nervous system designed to balance each other, letting you fluctuate between a good-for-you stress response and a healthy calm mode.
- The sympathetic nervous system is the “fight-or-flight” side of the nervous system. When a threat or opportunity presents itself, your sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear. Your heart rate increases. You begin to breathe faster. Your senses go on high alert, preparing you to face or run from whatever perceived danger or threat is on the horizon.
- Your parasympathetic nervous system is the “rest-and-digest” side of the nervous system. It promotes recovery and relaxation, helping you calm down after a stressor. Your heart and breathing rates lower. Your mind relaxes.
When these two systems are working together and balanced, you can jump into action when necessary and then relax again after the threat or stressor has been dealt with. But, if your sympathetic nervous system is running the show most of the time, your nervous system becomes unbalanced.
In our fast-paced world, your mind may interpret everyday stressors, such as emails, traffic, social media, meetings, and deadlines, as threats instead of necessary components of healthy productivity. You stay on high alert, preventing the parasympathetic nervous system from functioning appropriately. Recovery after fight-or-flight mode becomes difficult. This can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, fatigue, or burnout.
If you are overstressed and you find yourself in “fight-or-flight” mode more often than “rest-and-digest” mode, you may need to reset your nervous system and let your parasympathetic system do the job it was designed to do.
How Can I Reset My Nervous System?
You can reset your nervous system in just a few minutes a day. Simple activities like deep breathing, time in nature, exercise, and vagus nerve stimulation can help you relax and restore balance.
Deep Breathing Exercises (DBE)
Taking slow, deep breaths is one of the easiest ways to rest your nervous system. It can be done just about anywhere, anytime, by anyone.2 It is free, doesn’t take much time or energy, and has no negative effects on productivity or performance.
Deep, regulated breathing slows you down, focuses you on the present, and stimulates the vagus nerve, sending calming signals to your body and helping your heart, lungs, and brain fall into a calmer rhythm together.
Daily DBE can balance your nervous system, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce chronic stress.3 And in a moment of anxiety, DBE can reduce acute stress and help you refocus on the job at hand.
Several types of DBE have been found to be effective, such as the physiological sigh, long exhale breathing, and birthday cake breathing.4,5,6
Enjoying Nature
Spending time outdoors has the power to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, and improve mood. Even just a few minutes outdoors can start to re-regulate your nervous system. The sunshine and sights, sounds, and smells of nature can calm your mind and reset your system.
Drink your morning coffee or tea outside. Go to the park and watch the wildlife. And while you are out, add in some exercise to reap in even more benefits.
Exercise
Physical exercise, especially moderate types like yoga or walking, improves cardiovascular health and actually stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (“rest-and-digest”) by promoting relaxation, lowering heart rate, reducing stress hormones, and enhancing recovery, which counteracts the “fight-or-flight” stress response.7,8
Any type of exercise can benefit both body and mind. Whether you prefer high-intensity training and heart-pumping cardio or something gentler like a walk in the park, a new Pilates class, or a simple stretch, every bit of movement helps.
Go for a jog, take an exercise class with some friends, walk your dog, chase your toddler, or park farther away from the grocery store. Look for fun, easy ways to fit more activity into your day.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
The vagus nerve maintains balance in your body. It is a key part of your nervous system that helps regulate stress responses.10 Connected to your lungs, heart, and sensory systems, it helps regulate your heart rate, breathing, inflammatory responses, pain, and mood.
Stimulating the vagus nerve activates your parasympathetic system, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, and calms your mind.11 In a few minutes a day, this simple procedure may help you relax and recharge.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) involves applying gentle electrical pulses to the vagus nerve, which runs through the neck.9,10 Implanted electrical vagus nerve stimulation technology has been FDA cleared for epilepsy, major depression, post-stroke rehabilitation, and most recently, rheumatoid arthritis. This approach requires an open surgical implant with inherent costs and risks. Newer non‐invasive VNS delivery systems do not require surgery and permit patient‐administered stimulation on demand.
Truvaga is a safe and effective solution that gently activates your vagus nerve. Just two 2-minute sessions can help you manage the stress of daily life and fortify you for everyday stress or holiday stress, helping you feel ready and excited to take on all the New Year has to offer.
FAQs on Stress, Calm, and Nervous System Support
What does it mean to “reset” my nervous system?
Resetting your nervous system typically refers to using techniques that help shift your body from a heightened or stressed state into a calmer, more regulated mode. It’s a practical way to describe supporting your body’s natural ability to return to balance.
How do I know if my nervous system is overstimulated?
Common signs may include irritability, difficulty relaxing, trouble focusing, sleep disruptions, or feeling “on edge” throughout the day. These sensations can arise for many reasons, but noticing them consistently may be a sign that your stress response is working overtime.
Can Truvaga help support my nervous system?
Yes, Truvaga vagus nerve stimulators are designed to gently stimulate the vagus nerve, which play a key role in regulating stress responses. Many people use it as a simple, structured way to encourage calm and help rebalance their system during busy or overwhelming times.
How long does it take to feel more regulated once I start new habits?
Everyone responds differently. Some people feel changes quickly, while others experience gradual improvement over several days or weeks. Consistency tends to be more important than intensity.
Are quick techniques helpful when I feel overwhelmed during the day?
Yes. Short strategies, like taking a pause, breathing deeply, moving your body, or using tools like Truvaga, can help interrupt stress buildup and offer immediate relief, even during a hectic schedule.
Can nervous system–supporting routines help me start the year more calmly?
Establishing grounding habits early in the year can make the transition into new routines feel smoother and less overwhelming. These practices can help you create a steadier emotional baseline so you can approach goals with more clarity and ease.
Author bio:
Kristi Van Winkle, RN, BSN
Nurse Writer. Legal Nurse Consultant Writer. Educator.
Kristi Van Winkle is a nurse writer with over 15 years of bedside experience in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Telemetry/Cardiac settings. She combines her clinical background with a passion for clear, evidence-based communication to create educational and professional content for healthcare and legal audiences. Her work includes patient and provider education, curriculum development, and educational materials for legal nurse consultants and medical malpractice or personal injury attorneys. Kristi brings a nurse's insight, precision, and compassion to every project she undertakes. Connect with her on LinkedIn.References:
- Psychology Today. (2025, March). 7 small ways to reset and regulate your nervous system. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everyday-resilience/202503/7-small-ways-to-reset-and-regulate-your-nervous-system
- Bernardi, S., Allen, M. S., Borges, U., Dosseville, F., Hosang, T. J., Iskra, M., Mosley, E., Salvotti, C., Spolverato, L., Zammit, N., & Javelle, F. (2022). Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 138, 104711. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763422002007
- Conte, E. R., & Critchley, H. (2023). Deep breathing exercise at work: Potential applications and impact. Frontiers in Physiology, 14, 1040091.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1040091/full - Trauma Research UK. (n.d.). The physiological sigh. https://traumaresearchuk.org/the-physiological-sigh/
- Welltory. (n.d.). Long exhale for parasympathetic nervous system activation.
https://help.welltory.com/en/articles/3973614-long-exhale-for-parasympathetic-nervous-system-activation - The Guidance Center. (n.d.). Birthday cake breathing for a calm mind.
https://www.tgclb.org/mental-wellness/birthday-cake-breathing-for-a-calm-mind/ - Souza, G. R., et al. (2022). Does exercise training improve cardiac-parasympathetic nervous system activity in sedentary people? A systematic review with meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13899). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9656115/
- Iellamo, F., & Piepoli, M. (2016). Exercise training-induced modification in autonomic nervous system: An update for cardiac patients. Heart Failure Clinics, 12(1), 71–82. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877065716300811
- Pong, R. P., & Gill, D. (2023). Neuroanatomy, cranial nerve 10 (vagus nerve). In StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537171/
- Zhang, J. W., & Piff, P. K. (2021). Effect of nature exposure on perceived and physiologic stress: A systematic review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 76, 101664. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229920305446
Badran, B. W., et al. (2024). Vagus nerve stimulation: A physical therapy with promising potential for central nervous system disorders. Frontiers in Neurology. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1516242/full
