The 5-Minute Nervous System Reset 

You don’t need a perfect routine, a silent room, or endless time to calm your system. Sometimes, 5 minutes — and a few gentle cues — are enough to shift you from survival mode into something steadier.

Whether you’re anxious, frozen, overstimulated, or just “off,” these tools help remind your body it’s safe to come back online — at your pace.

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You don’t need to do all of them.

Pick one. Try it. Pause.

That’s the reset.

Tool 1: Anchor with the 5 Senses

Why: When your nervous system is spinning, your brain disconnects from the here-and-now. Anchoring through the senses pulls you out of your head and back into your body.

Try This Sequence (or just one part):

  • 5 things you see: the shape of the window, a leaf’s texture, your socks, a pen, a cup

  • 4 things you can touch: the chair under you, your hands, your shirt, your phone

  • 3 things you hear: cars outside, the hum of the fridge, your breath

  • 2 things you can smell: your sleeve, a candle, nothing — even noticing absence counts

  • 1 thing you can taste: gum, tea, or just run your tongue across your teeth

Short version:

Hold an ice cube. Touch a textured object (like a fuzzy blanket or cold spoon). Name 3 things out loud that are real and safe.

Why: Your hands are powerful regulators. Touch and pressure send signals of safety to the brain, especially when you feel scattered, buzzy, or disconnected.

Try This:

  • Palm press: Press your palms together firmly for 10 seconds. Then let go slowly.

  • Shaking: Shake out your hands like you’re flicking off water. Let your shoulders move too.

  • Self-tapping: Cross your arms over your chest and gently tap left/right/left/right (like a butterfly hug).

  • Thumb grounding: Press your thumb and each finger together slowly, one at a time. Breathe as you go.

Real-Life Example:

You’re spiraling after a tense email. You walk into the bathroom, press your hands to the sink, and feel the pressure. Then you press thumb-to-finger slowly as you breathe. It’s enough to interrupt the spin.

Tool 2: Regulate Through Your Hands

Tool 3: Orient to Safety

Why: When you’re stuck in freeze or flight, your brain forgets to “look around” — it’s bracing for danger. Orienting reminds your nervous system that you’re not in a threat right now.

Try This:

  • Gently look around the room. Name out loud or in your head:

    • A soft object

    • Something blue

    • Something that wouldn’t exist in an emergency (like a plant or a book)

  • Let your eyes land on one comforting object (even if it’s neutral, like a coffee mug).

  • Say to yourself:

    “Right now, I’m safe enough to take a breath.”

Real-Life Example:

You’re about to go into a meeting and feel your chest tighten. You step outside, look at a tree, trace its branches with your eyes, and remind yourself: “No one here is a threat. My body is just remembering old things. I can still show up.”— Squarespace

Wrap-Up:

Regulation doesn’t mean feeling amazing — it just means you’re a little more present than you were a minute ago.

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These tools won’t “fix” your feelings. They help you stay with them.

They help your body learn what it means to come down from the edge.

That’s healing. That’s enough.

Scenic landscape with mountains in the background, a lake in the middle, and grassy hills in the foreground.

  • Download this as a printable reset guide →

  • Explore more tools like this in my coaching work →

  • What It Means to Be Regulated →