Signs Your Nervous System Is in Overdrive and How to Reset
You know that feeling when your phone buzzes and your heart literally jumps? Or when you're lying in bed at 2 AM, exhausted but somehow still wired, your mind spinning through tomorrow's to-do list like a broken record? Maybe it's the way your shoulders have become permanent residents somewhere near your ears, or how you find yourself holding your breath without even realizing it, again.
If you're nodding along, welcome to the club nobody wants to join: chronic nervous system overdrive.
Picture this: You wake up already feeling behind. Before your feet hit the floor, you're mentally rehearsing your day, anxiety bubbling in your chest like carbonated stress. Your morning coffee feels less like a gentle wake-up call and more like rocket fuel for an already revving engine. By 10 AM, you're running on fumes and adrenaline, snapping at your partner over something trivial, then immediately feeling guilty about it.
What Happens When Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Overdrive?
First, let's get one thing crystal clear: if your nervous system feels dysregulated, you're not broken, weak, or doing anything wrong. You're having a completely normal response to abnormal circumstances.
Your nervous system is an ancient, sophisticated survival mechanism that evolved over millions of years to keep you safe. It was designed for a world where threats were immediate, physical, and temporary—like escaping a predator or surviving a natural disaster. Once the danger passed, your system would naturally return to a state of calm and restoration.
But here's what's happening in our modern world: your nervous system can't tell the difference between a charging tiger and a demanding email marked "URGENT." It responds to both with the same intensity, flooding your body with stress hormones and preparing you for physical action that never comes.
Signs Your Nervous System Is in Overdrive
Your body has some pretty clear ways of telling you it's stuck in overdrive. These aren't character flaws or things you need to "get over" - they're your nervous system doing what it thinks it needs to do to keep you safe.
Constant Anxiety or Restlessness
Feeling on edge or like you can’t relax
Racing thoughts, excessive worrying, or feeling overwhelmed
A sense of impending doom, even when things are okay
Chronic Fatigue or Burnout
Feeling exhausted even after rest
Struggling with brain fog or difficulty concentrating
Feeling emotionally numb, detached, or drained
Sleep Issues
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Waking up feeling tense or unrested
Experiencing vivid nightmares or stress dreams
Physical Tension and Discomfort
Muscle tightness, headaches, or jaw clenching
Unexplained digestive issues (nausea, bloating, stomach pain)
Rapid heart rate or feeling like you can’t catch your breath
Feeling Emotionally Reactive or Shut Down
Overreacting to small stressors (getting easily irritated or overwhelmed)
Struggling with emotional numbness or detachment
Feeling like you’re in survival mode all the time
If these symptoms sound familiar, your nervous system may be stuck in survival mode, making it hard for you to fully rest, process emotions, or feel safe in your body.
How to Reset Your Nervous System
Here's the thing your nervous system needs to hear: you're safe right now. But since it's been on high alert for so long, you'll need to show it, not just tell it.
These aren't "just breathe and everything will be fine" suggestions. These are real, science-backed ways to help your body remember what calm feels like. Some will work better for you than others, and that's completely normal. Your nervous system is unique, just like you are.
The goal isn't to never feel stressed again (because, hello, life). It's to help your system get unstuck so it can actually rest when it's safe to rest, and respond appropriately when there's something that actually needs your attention.
Think of these as gentle nudges back toward balance, not magic fixes. Your nervous system has been working hard to protect you - now we're just teaching it some new moves.
Activate the Vagus Nerve (Your Body’s Built-In Calm Button)
The vagus nerve plays a key role in switching your nervous system from stress to relaxation. You can stimulate it through:
Slow, deep breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6)
Humming or singing (vibration activates the vagus nerve)
Gargling water (a simple but effective way to reset)
Use the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
SSP is a science-backed sound therapy designed to help your nervous system process stress more effectively. It works by exposing your brain to specially filtered music that helps your body shift from hypervigilance to safety.
Get Out of Fight-or-Flight Mode with Movement
When your body is in overdrive, physical movement helps release stored stress. Try:
Gentle yoga or stretching to release tension
A short walk outside to engage your senses
Shaking out your body (animals naturally do this to discharge stress)
Use Sensory Grounding Techniques
If your nervous system is overwhelmed, grounding exercises bring you back to the present and signal safety. Try:
The 5-4-3-2-1 method (name 5 things you see, 4 you touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste)
Holding an ice pack to engage your body’s calming reflex
Weighted blankets or deep pressure to soothe your system
Prioritize Restorative Rest (Not Just Sleep)
Rest isn’t just about sleep—it’s about intentional restoration.
Spend 10 minutes in silence (turn off screens, notifications, and noise)
Try yoga nidra (a guided relaxation practice)
Take a sensory break (dim the lights, reduce noise, and breathe deeply)
Create a ‘Safety Signal’ Routine
Your nervous system responds well to predictability. Develop small habits that tell your brain you are safe:
Drinking warm tea or soup (activates the parasympathetic nervous system)
Playing calming music in the background
Practicing self-compassionate touch (placing a hand over your heart and breathing deeply)
Reduce Overstimulation (and Social Media Triggers)
If your nervous system is overwhelmed, constant stimulation makes it worse. Try:
Unplugging from screens before bed
Setting social media time limits to avoid doomscrolling
Spending time in nature to reset your sensory system
Your Nervous System Can (and Will) Find Its Way Back
If your nervous system feels stuck in overdrive, that's not a you problem - that's a "your body has been working really hard to keep you safe" problem. There's nothing wrong with you. Your system just needs some help remembering that it's okay to relax.
The beautiful thing about nervous systems? They're incredibly adaptable. The same system that learned to stay on high alert can learn to settle back down. It just takes some patience and the right tools.
These regulation techniques aren't about forcing yourself to be calm or pretending everything's fine. They're about giving your body actual evidence that you're safe right now, in this moment.
If you're dealing with chronic stress, anxiety, or feeling like your nervous system has forgotten how to chill out, therapy can be a game-changer. Not the "just think positive thoughts" kind, but the kind that actually helps you build long-term resilience and teaches your body new ways to respond.
Your body already knows how to heal, it's been doing it your whole life. Sometimes it just needs some support and the right tools to remember what that feels like. And that's exactly what anxiety counseling can help you figure out, whether you're dealing with everyday stress or deeper patterns that have been running the show for way too long.
Licensed to practice in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut, and Florida, I offer virtual therapy to clients no matter which of these states they call home.
