Signs Your Nervous System is Dysregulated (and How to Reset)

It’s not all in your head. It’s your nervous system.

From tension headaches to skin breakouts to burnout you can’t shake, many of the symptoms we brush off as “just stress” are often signs that your nervous system is dysregulated.

And in a world that rewards pushing through, we’ve normalised living in constant fight-or-flight mode.

But your body? It was never designed to live like that.

Your nervous system is the foundation of your mental clarity, emotional balance, hormone function, digestion, and even your skin health. When it’s overwhelmed, every system in your body feels it.

The good news? Regulation is possible — and often, it starts with the simplest, gentlest shifts.

Common Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation

You might be dysregulated if you:

• Feel tired but wired (exhausted yet unable to relax)

• Experience sudden mood swings, irritability, or emotional outbursts

• Have trouble sleeping or staying asleep

• Deal with bloating, slow digestion, or food sensitivities

• Notice skin flare-ups (acne, rashes, dullness) despite skincare

• Constantly feel on edge, hypervigilant, or anxious

• Struggle to fully rest, even when you have the time

• Feel numb, detached, or shut down (freeze response)

These are not character flaws. They’re nervous system cues.

How to Reset Your Nervous System (Gently)

Here are simple, daily practices that help move your body into rest-and-digest mode:

1. Ground through your senses

→ Try cold water on your wrists, feet on the floor, or a calming scent (like lavender or frankincense)

2. Prioritise breath over productivity

→ Slow, nasal breathing (4 counts in, 6 counts out) sends a safety signal to your brain

3. Eat blood sugar-stabilising meals

→ Focus on protein, healthy fats, fibre — and don’t skip meals

4. Add magnesium to your night routine

→ Magnesium glycinate or a magnesium bath calms nerves and aids deep sleep

5. Swap scrolling for stillness before bed

→ Even 5 minutes of journaling or stillness helps shift your nervous system into recovery mode

6. Try somatic touch or vagus nerve massage

→ Gentle face, neck or jaw massage (or facial Gua Sha) can ease the freeze response and support digestion, hormone health, and mood

You don’t need more productivity hacks. You need a regulated body that feels safe enough to rest, digest, and glow.

Healing your nervous system is the most underrated beauty ritual there is.

Download our FREE reset wellness ritual — link in bio on our socials.

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