20 Underrated & Science Backed Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System

While breathwork, meditation, and exercise often dominate conversations about nervous system regulation, research suggests there are many other surprisingly effective ways to support your body's stress response. Many of these practices work by signaling safety to the brain, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress hormones, and promoting emotional balance.

Exposure to Nature

Spending time in natural environments has been consistently associated with lower cortisol levels, reduced stress, improved mood, and greater parasympathetic nervous system activity. Even brief exposure to green spaces can promote physiological relaxation.

Research areas: Environmental psychology, biophilia, forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku)

Looking at Water

Humans appear to have a unique calming response to water environments, sometimes referred to as the "blue space" effect. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and even fountains have been associated with reduced stress, improved mood, and enhanced feelings of restoration.

Research areas: Blue health research, environmental neuroscience

Going for a Walk

Walking is one of the most effective and underrated ways to regulate the nervous system. Unlike intense exercise, walking can reduce stress without placing additional demands on the body. Research shows that walking can lower cortisol, improve mood, reduce anxiety, and support emotional regulation.

The benefits may be even greater when walking outdoors, particularly in natural environments. The combination of gentle movement, rhythmic bilateral motion, fresh air, sunlight, and exposure to nature provides multiple calming inputs to the nervous system simultaneously.

Walking also appears to help interrupt rumination and repetitive negative thought patterns. Studies have found that people who walk regularly, especially in green spaces, often report lower levels of stress and improved psychological wellbeing.

Research areas: Physical activity and mental health, environmental psychology, green exercise, stress physiology

Watching Familiar Comfort Shows or Cartoons

Rewatching familiar television shows, movies, or cartoons can provide psychological predictability and emotional safety. Familiar content reduces uncertainty and cognitive demand, which may help downregulate stress responses.

Many people instinctively return to childhood favorites or comfort shows during stressful periods because they provide a sense of familiarity, nostalgia, and emotional reassurance.

Research areas: Psychological comfort seeking, nostalgia research, uncertainty reduction theory

Awe Experiences

Experiencing awe through nature, art, music, astronomy, architecture, or inspiring stories can reduce self focused rumination and increase feelings of connection and wellbeing.

Research suggests that awe may shift attention away from everyday stressors and create a broader perspective on life.

Research areas: Positive psychology, emotion regulation

Listening to Birdsong

Listening to birdsong has been linked to lower stress, reduced anxiety, and improved mental wellbeing. Researchers believe natural sounds may signal environmental safety to the nervous system.

Research areas: Soundscape ecology, environmental psychology

Gentle Rhythmic Movement

Rocking chairs, hammocks, swinging, slow dancing, and other repetitive rhythmic movements can activate calming neural pathways and support emotional regulation.

These movements may be particularly soothing because of their influence on the vestibular system, which helps regulate balance and spatial orientation.

Research areas: Vestibular system regulation, sensory integration

Houseplants and Flowers

Indoor plants and flowers can improve mood, reduce perceived stress, and increase feelings of calm. Even small exposures to natural elements indoors appear beneficial.

Flowers, in particular, have been associated with increased positive emotions and greater feelings of wellbeing.

Research areas: Biophilic design, horticultural therapy

Humming and Singing

Humming, chanting, and singing naturally lengthen exhalation and create vibrations that may stimulate the vagus nerve, which plays a central role in nervous system regulation.

These practices can promote relaxation while encouraging slower, more controlled breathing patterns.

Research areas: Vagal tone, respiratory physiology

Looking at Fractals

Fractals are repeating patterns commonly found in nature, including tree branches, coastlines, leaves, clouds, and snowflakes. Research suggests that viewing fractal patterns may reduce physiological stress and mental fatigue.

Research areas: Neuroaesthetics, environmental design

Sunlight Exposure

Morning sunlight helps regulate circadian rhythms, which influence cortisol, melatonin, sleep quality, mood, energy levels, and nervous system stability.

Even ten to twenty minutes of natural light exposure shortly after waking can support healthy circadian signaling.

Research areas: Chronobiology, circadian health

Petting Animals

Interactions with pets can increase oxytocin, reduce cortisol, lower blood pressure, and promote feelings of safety and connection.

Many studies have found that spending time with animals can have measurable benefits for both physical and emotional wellbeing.

Research areas: Human animal interaction research

Warm Baths

Warm water immersion can reduce muscle tension, promote relaxation, and activate parasympathetic nervous system responses.

The rise and fall in body temperature that follows a warm bath may also support improved sleep quality.

Research areas: Hydrotherapy, thermoregulation

Being Near Trees

Research suggests that tree rich environments may be particularly beneficial for reducing stress and supporting emotional wellbeing compared with urban environments lacking greenery.

Trees may provide calming visual stimuli while improving air quality and reducing environmental stressors.

Research areas: Forest medicine, environmental health

Nostalgia

Looking through old photos, listening to meaningful music, revisiting childhood books, or engaging with positive memories can increase feelings of social connection, safety, and emotional resilience.

Research suggests nostalgia may help buffer stress and strengthen psychological wellbeing.

Research areas: Nostalgia psychology, emotional regulation

Creating Order in Your Environment

Clutter can increase cognitive load and stress. Organized, predictable environments reduce mental strain and may help signal safety to the brain.

Simple actions such as tidying a room, organizing a workspace, or creating visual calm can have meaningful psychological benefits.

Research areas: Environmental psychology, cognitive science

Gentle Touch

Physical touch such as hugs, massage, cuddling, or even self massage can stimulate oxytocin release and activate calming nervous system pathways.

Touch is one of the most powerful nonverbal signals of safety and connection.

Research areas: Affective neuroscience, touch research

Smelling Natural Scents

Certain natural scents, including lavender and some floral aromas, have been associated with reduced anxiety and improved relaxation.

The olfactory system has direct connections to brain regions involved in emotion and memory.

Research areas: Aromatherapy, olfactory neuroscience

Laughter

Genuine laughter can lower stress hormones, increase endorphins, and improve emotional regulation.

This may be one reason comfort shows, cartoons, and comedies often feel particularly soothing during periods of stress.

Research areas: Psychoneuroimmunology, positive psychology

Watching Fire

Campfires, fireplaces, and candlelight may induce a calming effect through rhythmic visual stimulation and associations with safety, warmth, and social connection.

Research suggests that observing fire may lower blood pressure and promote relaxation.

Research areas: Evolutionary psychology, relaxation research

Feeling a Sense of Community

The nervous system is highly responsive to social safety. Supportive relationships, meaningful conversations, shared experiences, and feelings of belonging are among the most powerful regulators of stress physiology.

Humans are inherently social beings, and connection plays a central role in emotional wellbeing.

Research areas: Social neuroscience, attachment theory, polyvagal theory