Practical Ways to Ground Yourself in Stressful Social Moments
- michelleslaterlpc
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
When we talk about the current political climate, the focus is often on thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. For many people, especially those in targeted or historically excluded communities, politics is not only cognitive. It is lived in the body.
You may notice your heart racing when you see a specific headline. You may feel tense, irritable, or on edge. Or you might experience a heavy numbness or a sense of spacing out after being under constant stress for too long. These are not emotional overreactions. They are physiological responses.
Your nervous system is doing what it is designed to do. It is trying to keep you safe.
By understanding how the nervous system responds to stress, we can work with the body rather than against it, and support moments of steadiness, clarity, and connection even when the world feels uncertain.
Understanding Common Nervous System States
Our nervous system shifts between different states depending on how safe or threatened we perceive our environment to be.
A state of connection and safety: In this state, you may feel more grounded, present, and able to think clearly. Social connection feels possible, and your body has access to rest, curiosity, and flexibility.
A state of mobilization: This is often experienced as anxiety, anger, urgency, or hyper-vigilance. Your body is prepared to act, to defend, or to escape. This response is common during ongoing social or political stress.
A state of shutdown or collapse: Here, the body conserves energy. You may feel numb, exhausted, disconnected, or hopeless. This often arises when stress feels overwhelming or unrelenting.
All of these states are protective. None of them mean something is wrong with you.
Practical Tools to Support Your Nervous System
When stress is high, it helps to use bottom-up practices. These work directly with the body to signal safety, rather than relying on positive thinking or reassurance alone.
1. Low Vocal Sounds to Support Settling
What to do: Take a comfortable breath in. As you exhale, make a low, steady sound such as “vooooo,” letting the vibration linger in your chest and throat. Repeat for one to two minutes.
Why this helps: Slow, vibrating sounds stimulate pathways connected to calming heart rate and breath. This can gently reduce physiological arousal and support a sense of steadiness.
2. Slow, Extended Exhales for Acute Anxiety
What to do: Inhale through your nose. At the top of the inhale, take a brief second breath of air. Then exhale slowly through your mouth, longer than the inhale. Repeat two or three times.
Why this helps: Longer exhales activate the body’s natural calming mechanisms and help reduce the intensity of stress responses.
3. Orienting to the Present Environment
What to do: Slowly turn your head and allow your eyes to move around the room. Notice five neutral or pleasant details, such as light, texture, or familiar objects. Move at a pace that feels unhurried.
Why this helps: Fear narrows attention. Broadening your gaze helps your nervous system recognize that the immediate environment is not dangerous.
4. Using Connection as Regulation
What to do: Spend time near someone who feels emotionally safe. This could be a friend, a family member, a pet, or even listening to a voice that feels steady and warm.
You do not need to talk about anything meaningful for this to work. Sitting together quietly is enough.
Why this helps: Human nervous systems regulate through proximity and shared presence. Safety is often restored through connection rather than effort.
Building Capacity Over Time
Regulation does not mean feeling calm all the time. It means having the ability to return to yourself after stress. Practicing these tools when your nervous system is calm helps you access steadiness more quickly when challenges arise. Over time, this builds resilience by increasing your tolerance to stay present, engaged, and grounded without becoming flooded or shutting down.
When stress feels heavy or overwhelming, having simple, accessible tools at your fingertips can make a difference. You can download your Emergency Regulation Cards to keep these practices close at hand, ready for any moment you need to return to yourself. Use them as often as you like; each card is designed to help your body feel grounded, safe, and supported.
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