What they didn't teach you
Your nervous system
runs your life.
It controls how you sleep, how you react, how you feel in your body every single day. Nobody taught you this in school. But it might be the most important thing you ever learn.
The Basics
Your body has a built-in
command center.
Your nervous system controls everything — your heartbeat, your breathing, your digestion, and how you respond to the world around you. It does all of this automatically, without you having to think about it. And it has two main modes:
The Gas Pedal
Your sympathetic nervous system. This is your fight-or-flight response. When you sense danger — real or imagined — it floods your body with stress hormones. Your heart races, your muscles tense, your breathing gets shallow. It's designed to save your life. But when it's stuck on? That's when you feel anxious, wired, or like you can't turn your brain off.
The Brake
Your parasympathetic nervous system. This is your rest-and-digest mode. It slows your heart rate, relaxes your muscles, and lets your body heal and recover. A healthy nervous system can switch between these two modes easily. The problem is — most of us have been running on the gas pedal for so long, we've forgotten what the brake even feels like.
The Vagus Nerve: Your Secret Weapon
Running from your brain all the way down through your chest and into your gut, the vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body. Think of it as the main communication highway between your brain and your organs. When this nerve is working well, it helps you calm down faster, digest better, sleep deeper, and feel more connected to the people around you.
The good news? You can actually strengthen your vagus nerve — the same way you'd strengthen a muscle. And many of the techniques on this page do exactly that.
Your nervous system has three gears
Research shows your nervous system doesn't just toggle between "stressed" and "calm." It actually has three distinct states — and understanding them changes everything.
Safe & Connected
This is where you want to be most of the time. You feel calm, present, and open. You can think clearly, connect with others, and handle life's curveballs without falling apart. Scientists call this the ventral vagal state.
Fight or Flight
Your body is mobilized for action. Heart pounding, muscles tight, mind racing. This is useful when you're in actual danger. But when you're stuck here because of work stress, money worries, or past trauma — it wears your body down.
Shutdown / Freeze
When the stress is too much, your system shuts down to protect you. You might feel numb, disconnected, exhausted, or like you're just going through the motions. Your nervous system has essentially pulled the emergency brake to keep you safe.
Check In With Yourself
Does any of this sound familiar?
A dysregulated nervous system doesn't always look like a panic attack. Most of the time, it shows up in quiet ways — things you've probably been told are "just stress" or "just how life is." They're not. These are signals from your body that something needs attention.
In Your Body
In Your Emotions
In Your Behavior
"If you checked even a few of these — your body is trying to tell you something. And it's worth listening."
Keep reading. There are things you can do about this — starting today.
Why This Matters
This goes way beyond feeling calm.
Nervous system regulation is the foundation that everything else in your life is built on — your health, your relationships, your ability to think straight, your capacity to show up for the people who need you. When your nervous system is regulated, everything works better. When it's dysregulated, everything suffers.
Clearer Thinking
When your nervous system is calm, your prefrontal cortex — the part of your brain responsible for decisions, planning, and problem-solving — comes back online. You stop reacting and start responding.
Better Sleep
A regulated nervous system lets your body actually rest. Not the kind of sleep where you wake up exhausted — real, restorative sleep where your body heals.
Stronger Relationships
When you're not in survival mode, you can actually be present with the people you care about. You listen better. You react less. You connect more.
Less Inflammation & Pain
Chronic stress keeps your body in a state of inflammation — which drives pain, autoimmune issues, digestive problems, and more. Regulation calms the fire.
A Stronger Immune System
Your immune system can't do its job when your body is stuck in fight-or-flight. Regulation gives your body the space to protect and repair itself.
Real Energy — Not Adrenaline
There's a difference between running on stress hormones and actually having energy. Regulation helps you feel alive without feeling wired.
Your Most Powerful Tool
Breathing is free.
And it changes everything.
Your breath is the one part of your autonomic nervous system you can consciously control. That makes it the single most accessible tool you have for regulation. You don't need an app, a therapist, or a gym membership. You just need to know what to do — and when.
Here are eight techniques you can start using right now. Each one works differently, so pay attention to which ones your body responds to. That's the one to keep coming back to.
The Physiological Sigh
When you need to calm down fastHow to do it:
- 1.Take a deep breath in through your nose
- 2.Without exhaling, take one more short sip of air through your nose
- 3.Now exhale slowly and completely through your mouth
- 4.Repeat 2-3 times
Why it works: This is your body's built-in reset button. Research from Stanford found that just one to three of these sighs can reduce anxiety faster than meditation. Your lungs have tiny air sacs that collapse when you're stressed — the double inhale pops them open, and the long exhale triggers your calming system.
Box Breathing
When your mind won't stop racingHow to do it:
- 1.Breathe in for 4 counts
- 2.Hold for 4 counts
- 3.Breathe out for 4 counts
- 4.Hold for 4 counts
- 5.Repeat for 2-5 minutes
Why it works: The equal rhythm gives your racing mind something structured to focus on. Navy SEALs use this technique before high-pressure situations. It works because the predictable pattern tells your nervous system that things are under control.
4-7-8 Breathing
When you can't fall asleepHow to do it:
- 1.Breathe in quietly through your nose for 4 counts
- 2.Hold your breath for 7 counts
- 3.Exhale completely through your mouth for 8 counts
- 4.Repeat 3-4 times
Why it works: The extended exhale is the key here. When your exhale is longer than your inhale, it directly stimulates the vagus nerve and activates your body's calming response. Think of it as a natural sedative for your nervous system.
Coherent Breathing
For daily nervous system maintenanceHow to do it:
- 1.Breathe in for 5-6 counts
- 2.Breathe out for 5-6 counts
- 3.No holding — just a smooth, even rhythm
- 4.Practice for 5-20 minutes daily
Why it works: At about five breaths per minute, your heart rate and breathing sync up in a way that maximizes your heart rate variability (HRV) — a key marker of nervous system health and resilience. This is like a daily workout for your vagus nerve.
Extended Exhale Breathing
When you feel wound up and need to slow downHow to do it:
- 1.Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts
- 2.Breathe out slowly through your mouth for 6-8 counts
- 3.Let the exhale be soft — like you're fogging a mirror
- 4.Continue for 3-5 minutes
Why it works: Your exhale is directly tied to your parasympathetic nervous system — the calming branch. By making your exhale longer than your inhale, you're literally telling your body to downshift. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to bring yourself out of a stress response.
Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic)
When your chest feels tight or your breathing is shallowHow to do it:
- 1.Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly
- 2.Breathe in slowly through your nose — feel your belly push into your hand
- 3.Your chest should stay relatively still
- 4.Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall
- 5.Repeat for 5-10 minutes
Why it works: Most people breathe into their chest, especially when stressed. Chest breathing keeps your body in a low-grade fight-or-flight state. Diaphragmatic breathing activates the vagus nerve directly and tells your nervous system that you're safe. This is the foundation of almost every breathwork practice.
Humming Bee Breath (Bhramari)
When you need to interrupt anxious thoughtsHow to do it:
- 1.Sit comfortably and close your eyes
- 2.Take a deep breath in through your nose
- 3.As you exhale, make a steady humming sound — like a bee
- 4.Feel the vibration in your face, jaw, and chest
- 5.Repeat 5-10 times
Why it works: The vibration from humming directly stimulates the vagus nerve where it passes through your throat. Studies have shown this practice reduces heart rate and blood pressure within minutes. The sound also gives your brain a single point of focus, which interrupts the anxious thought loops that keep your nervous system activated.
Straw Breathing
When you're in public and need something subtleHow to do it:
- 1.Breathe in normally through your nose
- 2.Purse your lips like you're breathing through a straw
- 3.Exhale slowly through your pursed lips — take twice as long as your inhale
- 4.Repeat 5-8 times
Why it works: The resistance created by pursed lips naturally slows your exhale, which activates your calming system. Because it looks like a normal breath, you can do this anywhere — in a meeting, in line at the store, sitting in traffic. Nobody will know you're actively regulating your nervous system.
A note on safety:
These gentle techniques are safe for most people. If you have a history of cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, epilepsy, or severe mental health conditions, start slowly and consult a healthcare provider before trying more intense breathwork practices. Always listen to your body — if something doesn't feel right, stop.
Ready to go deeper with breathwork?
The techniques above are a powerful starting point. If you want structured guidance, deeper practices, and a framework for making breathwork a lasting part of your life, I created a course for exactly that.
Explore the Breathwork CourseFrom Jen Guidry at The High Level Life
Body Practices
Your body keeps the score.
It also keeps the cure.
Stress and trauma don't just live in your mind — they live in your body. Your tight shoulders, your clenched jaw, that knot in your stomach — those are your nervous system holding onto things your conscious mind may have moved past.
Somatic practices work directly with the body to release that stored tension. They don't require a therapist, a gym, or any equipment. Just you and a few minutes. The practices below are organized from the simplest starting points to deeper work — start wherever feels right for you.
Start Here
These are the quickest, simplest practices. You can do any of them right now, wherever you are.
Cold Water on Your Face
30 secondsSplash cold water on your face or hold a cold, wet cloth against your cheeks and forehead. This triggers your body's "diving reflex" — it immediately slows your heart rate and activates your calming nervous system. It sounds too simple to work. Try it once when you're stressed and you'll understand.
How to do it:
Lean over a sink and splash cold water on your face 3-4 times, focusing on your cheeks and forehead. Or soak a washcloth in cold water, wring it out, and hold it against your face for 30 seconds. The colder the better.
Self-Touch (Havening)
1-3 minutesPlace one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Feel the warmth of your own hands. Feel your heartbeat. Feel your breath. This simple act of self-contact activates your parasympathetic nervous system and sends a signal of safety to your brain.
How to do it:
Try these variations: gently stroke your own arms from shoulder to wrist, give yourself a hug and hold it, place both hands on the sides of your face, or cross your arms and gently tap alternating shoulders. Each of these sends a powerful calming signal through your nervous system.
Grounding (5-4-3-2-1)
2-3 minutesWhen you feel overwhelmed or disconnected, use your senses to anchor yourself in the present moment. This pulls your nervous system out of the past or future and into right now — where you're actually safe.
How to do it:
Notice 5 things you can see. Touch 4 different textures around you. Listen for 3 distinct sounds. Identify 2 things you can smell. Notice 1 thing you can taste. Go slowly. Really pay attention to each one. The more detail you notice, the more effective this becomes.
Feet on the Floor
1-2 minutesThis is one of the simplest and most underrated somatic tools. When your mind is spinning, your body needs an anchor. Your feet are the most direct connection between your body and the ground beneath you.
How to do it:
Take off your shoes if you can. Press your feet flat into the floor. Notice the temperature, the texture, the pressure. Push down gently and feel the floor push back. Wiggle your toes. Rock slightly forward and back. Breathe normally. Let your attention stay in your feet for a full minute.
Going Deeper
Once you're comfortable with the basics, these practices help you release stored tension and build a stronger connection between your mind and body.
Gentle Shaking (TRE-Inspired)
3-5 minutesAnimals naturally shake after a stressful event — they literally shake off the stress hormones. Humans have been taught to suppress this. Shaking is one of the most effective ways to discharge stored tension from your muscles and nervous system.
How to do it:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Start by shaking your hands loosely. Let the shaking move up into your arms. Then let your shoulders bounce. Let the movement travel through your whole body — your hips, your legs, your jaw. Don't control it. Let it be messy. After 3-5 minutes, stand still and notice how your body feels. That tingling sensation is your nervous system recalibrating.
The Body Scan
5-10 minutesA body scan reconnects you to the physical sensations you've been ignoring. Most people living in survival mode are disconnected from their bodies — they live from the neck up. This practice brings you back in.
How to do it:
Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable. Close your eyes. Starting at the top of your head, slowly bring your attention to each part of your body — your forehead, jaw, neck, shoulders, chest, belly, hips, legs, feet. Don't try to change anything. Just notice. Where is there tension? Where is there ease? Where do you feel nothing at all? Spend at least 20-30 seconds on each area. The goal is awareness, not relaxation — though relaxation often follows.
Jaw Release
2-3 minutesYour jaw is one of the primary places your body stores stress. If you clench your teeth, grind at night, or carry tension in your face, your nervous system is holding on to something. Releasing the jaw sends a direct signal to your brain that the threat has passed.
How to do it:
Let your mouth fall open slightly. Place your fingertips on your jaw joints (just in front of your ears). Make small circles with gentle pressure. Then open your mouth wide and hold for 5 seconds. Close and repeat 3 times. Next, move your jaw slowly side to side. Finally, let your mouth hang open and take 5 slow breaths through your mouth. You might yawn — let it happen. Yawning is your nervous system releasing tension.
Vagal Toning Through Humming
2-3 minutesThe vagus nerve runs right through your throat. When you hum, the vibration directly stimulates this nerve, which activates your body's calming response. Studies show this can lower heart rate and blood pressure within minutes.
How to do it:
Sit comfortably. Take a deep breath in. As you exhale, hum at a low, comfortable pitch — feel the vibration in your chest, throat, and face. Extend each hum for as long as your exhale lasts. Repeat 8-10 times. Experiment with different pitches and notice which one creates the most vibration in your chest. That's your sweet spot. Singing and gargling work through the same mechanism.
Deeper Work
These practices take more time but create lasting change. They're especially helpful if you've been carrying tension for years.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
10-15 minutesWhen your body has been tense for so long that you've forgotten what relaxation feels like, this practice teaches your muscles the difference. By deliberately tensing and releasing each muscle group, you're giving your nervous system a clear before-and-after signal.
How to do it:
Start with your feet. Curl your toes and squeeze the muscles in your feet as tight as you can. Hold for 5 seconds. Then release completely and notice the difference for 10 seconds. Move to your calves — squeeze, hold, release. Continue up through your thighs, glutes, belly, fists, arms, shoulders, and face. The key is the contrast — the release after the tension is what teaches your nervous system to let go.
Orienting
3-5 minutesWhen your nervous system is stuck in threat mode, it narrows your focus — tunnel vision, racing thoughts, fixation on problems. Orienting is the practice of deliberately widening your awareness to take in your surroundings. It tells your survival brain that you can afford to look around, which means you must be safe.
How to do it:
Sit or stand wherever you are. Slowly turn your head to the right and let your eyes take in everything on that side. Don't rush. Notice colors, shapes, light, shadows. Then slowly turn to the left and do the same. Look up at the ceiling or sky. Look down at the ground. Let your eyes land on anything that feels interesting or pleasant. Stay with it for a few breaths. This practice is especially powerful after a stressful event or when you feel frozen.
Butterfly Hug (Bilateral Stimulation)
2-5 minutesOriginally developed for trauma processing, the butterfly hug uses alternating bilateral stimulation to help your brain process stress and emotion. The left-right rhythm mimics what happens during REM sleep, when your brain naturally processes the events of the day.
How to do it:
Cross your arms over your chest so that your fingertips rest on the front of your shoulders. Slowly tap your left hand, then your right hand, alternating back and forth at a steady pace — about one tap per second. Close your eyes if it feels comfortable. Keep tapping for 2-5 minutes. Breathe normally. Let whatever thoughts or feelings come up just pass through without judgment. When you stop, sit quietly for a moment and notice how you feel.
Constructive Rest Position
10-20 minutesSometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your nervous system is to simply put your body in a position that signals complete safety. This restorative position allows your psoas muscle — the deep hip flexor that tightens during fight-or-flight — to release, which directly calms your nervous system.
How to do it:
Lie on your back on the floor (a yoga mat or carpet works well). Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart. Let your knees lean against each other so you don't have to use any muscle effort to hold them up. Place your hands on your belly or let your arms rest at your sides. Close your eyes. Breathe naturally. Stay here for 10-20 minutes. You're not trying to do anything. Just let gravity do the work. Your psoas will begin to release on its own.
If This Is You
When your whole life runs on
emergency power.
If you've been living in a constant state of tension, urgency, or emotional numbness — if you feel like you're always just trying to get through the day — there's a reason for that. Your nervous system has been running on emergency power for so long that it's become your normal. And your body was never designed to stay there.
Here's how to start coming back to yourself:
Recognize what's actually happening
Survival mode is a physiological state. Your nervous system got stuck in protection mode because at some point, it had to be. That response kept you alive. It did its job. But now it's running the show when the threat is gone — and that takes a real toll on your body, your mind, and your relationships.
Let go of the blame
You didn't choose this. Your nervous system learned to operate this way based on what you've been through — whether that's childhood stress, financial pressure, a difficult relationship, or just years of grinding without a break. Understanding how you got here is the starting point for changing it.
Find micro-moments of safety
You don't need a vacation or a complete life overhaul. Start with tiny moments. A warm drink held in both hands. Ten seconds of slow breathing. The feeling of your feet on the floor. These moments might seem insignificant, but they're teaching your nervous system something it may have forgotten: that safety exists.
Use the tools on this page
The breathwork and body practices above are backed by neuroscience and they work. Start with one. The physiological sigh is the fastest. Do it three times right now. That small act sends a signal to your nervous system — one it may not have received in a long time.
Build from there — slowly
Healing isn't a straight line and it doesn't happen overnight. But every time you practice one of these techniques, you're building capacity. You're widening your window of tolerance. You're proving to your nervous system that it can come down from high alert — and that you'll be okay when it does.
"You don't have to earn the right to feel safe in your own body."
Safety isn't something that only exists when everything in your life is perfect. You can begin to create it right now — one breath, one moment, one practice at a time. Even when your circumstances are hard. Especially then.
About the Person Behind This Page
Hi, I'm Jen Guidry.
I know what it feels like to live in a body that won't calm down. For years, I dealt with exhaustion, tension, emotional reactivity, and a constant sense that something was wrong — but I couldn't name it. I thought that was just how life worked. I thought I needed to push harder.
Turns out, my nervous system was stuck in survival mode. And once I understood that, everything changed. I started studying — obsessively. Over 20,000 hours of research into the nervous system, trauma, breathwork, somatics, and how the body actually heals. I became a Trauma Release Breathwork Practitioner, trained in integrative trauma work, and started helping other people find the same relief I found.
I founded The High Level Life because I believe this work belongs to everyone. I also own SA Pain Relief, where I help people heal from pain, anxiety, and inflammation at a cellular level. I'm based in Canyon Lake, Texas, and I speak on stages about nervous system mastery and high-level leadership.
I built this page because the information on it changed my life — and I think it can change yours too. You don't need a degree or a big budget. You just need to understand what's happening inside your body and learn what to do about it.
Your Starting Point
You don't need to fix everything at once.
Building a regulated nervous system is like building a muscle. You don't go to the gym once and expect to be strong. You show up, do a little, and over time your capacity grows. Here's a simple daily practice you can start with — it takes less than ten minutes.
A Simple Daily Practice
2 minutes of coherent breathing
Before you check your phone. Breathe in for 5 counts, out for 5 counts. This sets the tone for your entire nervous system before the world gets to it first.
60-second body check-in
Pause wherever you are. Notice your jaw — unclench it. Notice your shoulders — drop them. Take three slow breaths. That's it. You just interrupted the stress cycle.
The physiological sigh
When something triggers you — before you react — do 3 physiological sighs. Double inhale, long exhale. This buys your thinking brain time to come back online.
5-minute wind-down
Before bed, do a gentle body scan or 4-7-8 breathing. Place your hands on your chest and belly. Feel your own warmth. Tell your nervous system the day is done.
Things to remember as you go
Start Small
One technique. One minute. That's enough to start. Your nervous system responds to consistency, not intensity. A little bit every day matters more than a lot once in a while.
It's Not Linear
Some days will feel easier than others. You might have a great week and then a hard day. That's not failure — that's your nervous system learning a new way of being. Be patient with yourself.
Connection Heals
Your nervous system is wired for connection. Being around safe, calm people literally helps regulate your own system. This is called co-regulation. If you can, find even one person who feels safe to be around.
You Deserve This
Taking care of your nervous system is one of the most practical things you can do for yourself, your family, and everyone around you. A regulated you is a better parent, partner, friend, and human. This is the real work.
When You're Ready for More
Everything on this page is free and always will be. But if you've felt something shift while reading this — if you're ready to go deeper — here are structured ways to keep going.
The Peace Protocol
This is the full method. The Peace Protocol is a four-pillar recalibration process that stabilizes your nervous system, separates you from reactive thought patterns, helps you build a new identity rooted in internal certainty, and trains you to operate from that identity until peace becomes your baseline — not something you have to chase. It's the same process I use with my private clients, made accessible as a self-paced course.
The Breathwork Course
The techniques on this page are a starting point. This course takes you further — with guided breathwork sessions, deeper practices for trauma release, and a structured framework for making breathwork a consistent part of your daily life. You'll learn how to use your breath to move through anxiety, process stored emotion, and build real resilience in your nervous system over time.
The Companion Workbook
A hands-on workbook you can hold in your hands. It walks you through the recalibration process at your own pace — with prompts, exercises, and space to process what comes up along the way. Available on Amazon.
Free Resources to Keep Learning
Everything on this page is yours to use, for free, forever. Here are some additional places to find support:
- •SAMHSA's National Helpline — Free, confidential, 24/7 referrals and information. Call 1-800-662-4357 or visit samhsa.gov
- •Community Health Centers — Free or low-cost mental health services near you. Find one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov
- •Open Path Collective — Affordable therapy sessions ($30-$80) for people in financial need at openpathcollective.org
- •YouTube — Search for "nervous system regulation exercises" or "vagus nerve exercises" for free guided practices you can follow along with.
Who Made This
Hi, I'm Jen.
I know what it feels like to be running on empty and not understand why. I spent years pushing through exhaustion, tension, and emotional reactivity — thinking that's just how life was. It took me a long time to realize my nervous system was stuck in survival mode, and that there were real, practical things I could do about it.
That realization changed everything for me. I went deep — over 20,000 hours of research, training in trauma release breathwork and integrative trauma work, and years of helping real people get their lives back. I founded The High Level Life because I believe this knowledge should be available to everyone — not just the people who can afford a coach or a therapist.
I built this page for you. Everything here is free. If it helps even one person understand what's happening in their body and start doing something about it, then it was worth making.