Daily Rituals To Support the Wellbeing of Your Nervous System
IT’S NOT JUST WHAT YOU DO — IT’S HOW YOU DO IT
The nervous system thrives on rhythm, repetition and cues of safety.
Rituals — even the smallest ones — offer your body predictability, presence and care. They remind your system it doesn’t have to stay in survival. That it's allowed to soften, breathe and return.
This guide shares simple, state specific daily rituals to support nervous system wellbeing — no matter where you are in your day or in your internal state.
In Regulation (Ventral) — Rituals Anchor Presence
In a state of Regulation, rituals help you maintain steadiness. They deepen your connection to self and rhythm, supporting expansion without overwhelm.
- Core experience: Vitality, openness, integration
- Daily rituals: Journaling with tea, setting intentions, slow morning movement
- Examples: Lighting a candle before work, breathwork between meetings, preparing meals mindfully
- Supportive practice: Choose a morning anchor (tea, light, scent) and pair it with a moment of reflection. Let this become a daily signal of Regulation.
In Activation (Sympathetic) — Rituals Create Pause and Containment
In a state of Activation, your system needs slowing down — but not by force. Rituals offer gentle interruption and help recalibrate without control.
- Core experience: Tension, rushing, overdrive
- Daily rituals: Breath resets, tactile grounding, device boundaries
- Examples: Washing your hands with awareness, using aromatherapy to interrupt stress loops, taking five slow breaths before opening email
- Supportive practice: Build in a daily “pause ritual” — a moment you step outside, stretch or listen to music between tasks. Let it mark the shift from urgency to presence.
In Depletion (Dorsal) — Rituals Invite Soft Reconnection
In a state of Depletion, rituals provide gentle contact with life. They offer a tether — something to reach for when everything feels far away.
- Core experience: Low energy, numbness, detachment
- Daily rituals: Sensory reawakening, cozy containment, sunlight exposure
- Examples: Playing calming music in the background, wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, stepping outside for two minutes
- Supportive practice: Create a “start the day” ritual that takes no more than 3 minutes — like lighting incense, opening a window or holding something warm. Let this be your first point of reentry.
In Overload (Freeze) — Rituals Offer Simplicity and Structure
In a state of Overload, the system is overwhelmed. Rituals help organize internal chaos by providing predictability and simplicity — something to hold onto when everything feels too much.
- Core experience: Fragmentation, overstimulation, emotional flooding
- Daily rituals: Sensory containment, repetition, structured quiet
- Examples: Listening to the same morning playlist, using the same scent each night, eating from the same bowl each day
- Supportive practice: Choose one non-negotiable ritual — even something as simple as making your bed or turning off devices at 9pm. Let repetition regulate you.
RITUALS ARE REMINDERS THAT YOU DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE EVERY DAY
You don’t need a complicated routine. You just need a few sacred pauses — chosen moments that tell your system:
You are not in danger.
You don’t have to rush.
You’re allowed to come home to yourself.
WHERE TO START
Use The statechanged Method Workbook to design daily rituals that support each of your states.
Take the Free Nervous System Assessment Quiz to learn where your system needs more ritual support.
Explore our Digital Downloads for ritual planners, sensory prompts and nervous system care guides.