{"id":1543174,"date":"2026-01-29T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1543174"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:57:00","slug":"regulating-your-nervous-system-is-so-hot-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1543174","title":{"rendered":"Regulating your nervous system is so hot right now"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/beauty\/article\/69413\/1\/everyone-trying-regulate-their-nervous-system-tapping-tiktok-meditation\" data-article-id=\"69413\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.67\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Regulate your nervous system\" class=\"img\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1434895-1.jpg\" width=\"1000\" title=\"1434895-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Minority Report (2002)<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-01-29T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"29 January 2026\"><span class=\"month\">January<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"29\">29,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - beauty\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty-feature\">Beauty Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Regulating your nervous system is so hot <span class=\"nowrap\">right now<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>People are searching for ways to reset their nervous systems \u2013 but how much is the need to self-soothe personal, and how much <span class=\"nowrap\">is systemic?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-01-29T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"29 January 2026\"><span class=\"month\">January<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"29\">29,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-01-29T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"29 January 2026\"><span class=\"month\">January<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"29\">29,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/TiarnaMeehan\">Tiarna<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Is your nervous system regulated? It\u2019s the question on everyone\u2019s minds these days \u2013 at least, it seems that way on TikTok, where a growing wave of wellness routines aimed at \u201cresetting\u201d our systems is sliding into the zeitgeist. Common suggestions range from ice baths and meditation, to somatic practices including EFT tapping, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@drgracedpt\/video\/7570537936135916831\"><span>slow blinking<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@taytrace\/video\/7582625385637104927\"><span>arm swings and hops<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@taigberg\/video\/7593195363683601694\"><span>ear massage,<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0humming, and pressing your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@cher.spirit\/photo\/7581614321122250014\"><span>feet into the ground<\/span><\/a><span>. <\/span>While it\u2019s easy to dismiss this as another iteration of \u201cnew year, new me\u201d content clogging timelines every January, these gestures are reaching for something more urgent than optimisation, as people try to regulate nervous systems pushed into a near-constant state of strain.<\/p>\n<p>At its most basic, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK542179\/\"><span>nervous system<\/span><\/a> is the communication network between brain and body, responsible for everything from breathing and digestion to how we perceive threats. When it\u2019s relatively regulated, the body can move between states of alertness and rest before returning to a balanced baseline. Without that regulation, however, people can become suspended in a near-constant state of stress. \u201cOur nervous system needs to have a baseline of feeling basically safe in the world, while remaining appropriately sensitive to arising threats,\u201d explains Glasgow-based counsellor and psychotherapist Amber Thornton. It\u2019s this baseline that allows us to cope with the inevitable ups and downs of existence.<\/p>\n<p>For some, dysregulation is identified through a formal clinical diagnosis. But for many others, it\u2019s first encountered online: through TikToks, Reels, and carousel posts that list symptoms and offer fixes. These symptoms can include a need for constant stimulation, a persistent low-level sense of urgency, and physical effects like headaches, digestive issues, and sleep problems. The proposed solutions, meanwhile, range from clinical interventions \u2013 counselling, EMDR, pharmaceutical drugs \u2013 to everyday practices like mindfulness, forest bathing, sauna and cold plunges, and sound baths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7582625385637104927\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cFor neurodiverse individuals, resetting may be specific to sensory needs, or you may find co-regulation with a trusted loved one beneficial,\u201d says Thornton. \u201cFinding the right practice for you may be a case of trial and error or working on what\u2019s going to be feasible in your schedule, rather than create additional stress trying to do it all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>One abbreviation often listed among online \u201csolutions\u201d is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or tapping. The practice combines acupressure with cognitive therapy, involving tapping specific meridian points on the face and body while focusing on negative thoughts or sensations. It\u2019s said to send signals to the brain\u2019s amygdala, release \u201ctrapped\u201d energy, and ultimately calm the nervous system. Online, creators often suggest it as something to do at work, between high-stress meetings and looming deadlines.<\/p>\n<p>But while the end goal may be the same, dysregulation doesn\u2019t follow a prescribed path. \u201cIf your nervous system is on constant high alert due to experiencing long-term poverty, it will require a different approach than someone who is chronically dysregulated due to a background of trauma,\u201d Thornton says. \u201cThere may also be huge systemic barriers to a regulated nervous system, such as living with a long-term health condition or experiencing institutional racism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The rise of regulation techniques sits alongside a broader turn toward wellness culture, now embedded in the mainstream routine. People are frequenting saunas, masking up for red-light therapy, reaching for electrolytes and adaptogen gummies. Its popularity speaks to a wider grasp for respite in a socio-political landscape that feels increasingly fragile. But while the two are clearly linked, the fixation on nervous system regulation suggests something beyond simple wellness obsession. It points to a society-wide sense that life itself has become destabilising \u2013 not just something to escape from, but something that constantly needs fixing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7593816736701369622\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>As these practices settle into daily routines, they risk being flattened into a duty. In doing so, we\u2019re asked to take responsibility for harms inflicted by larger systems \u2013 capitalism, landlords, governments, billionaires \u2013while the underlying conditions remain unchanged. Another layer to this is the science of epigenetics, which suggests that the nervous system adapts to what it\u2019s exposed to, and that prolonged stress can leave physical changes in our DNA that carry across generations. In other words, the stress we feel may be entangled not only with the pressures of the present, but with the inherited weight of what came before us.<\/p>\n<p><span>If the real solution is removing the conditions that cause harm, it remains sadly largely out of reach. The systems producing chronic stress aren\u2019t easily dismantled. But refusing these rituals doesn\u2019t fix the system either, for many, nervous system regulation is not a lifestyle choice but an essential response to a lack of support elsewhere. What emerges instead is a turn towards each other \u2013 a mutual aid that historically surfaces in moments of collective strain. In this way, people creating regulation hacks on TikTok, sharing their experiences and symptoms, are building their own system of care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAnother tip when thinking about regulating our nervous system is to take an approach of enjoyment, rather than a focus on fixing,\u201d Thornton adds, pushing back against the idea that the body is something in need of constant correction. But when regulation stops offering relief and becomes one more thing to manage, or when self-soothing starts to replace care that doesn\u2019t exist elsewhere, it\u2019s sensible to reach out for professional help. \u201cIf you\u2019re finding that small things feel massive, feeling frequently tense or tearful, or just a general difficulty around \u2018switching off\u2019, it might be time to chat to your GP or a qualified mental health professional,\u201d says Thornton.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Is your nervous system regulated? It\u2019s the question on everyone\u2019s minds these days \u2013 at least, it seems that way on TikTok, where a growing wave of wellness routines aimed at \u201cresetting\u201d our systems is sliding into the zeitgeist. Common suggestions range from ice baths and meditation, to somatic practices including EFT tapping, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@drgracedpt\/video\/7570537936135916831\"><span>slow blinking<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@taytrace\/video\/7582625385637104927\"><span>arm swings and hops<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@taigberg\/video\/7593195363683601694\"><span>ear massage,<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0humming, and pressing your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@cher.spirit\/photo\/7581614321122250014\"><span>feet into the ground<\/span><\/a><span>. <\/span>While it\u2019s easy to dismiss this as another iteration of \u201cnew year, new me\u201d content clogging timelines every January, these gestures are reaching for something more urgent than optimisation, as people try to regulate nervous systems pushed into a near-constant state of strain.<\/p>\n<p>At its most basic, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK542179\/\"><span>nervous system<\/span><\/a> is the communication network between brain and body, responsible for everything from breathing and digestion to how we perceive threats. When it\u2019s relatively regulated, the body can move between states of alertness and rest before returning to a balanced baseline. Without that regulation, however, people can become suspended in a near-constant state of stress. \u201cOur nervous system needs to have a baseline of feeling basically safe in the world, while remaining appropriately sensitive to arising threats,\u201d explains Glasgow-based counsellor and psychotherapist Amber Thornton. It\u2019s this baseline that allows us to cope with the inevitable ups and downs of existence.<\/p>\n<p>For some, dysregulation is identified through a formal clinical diagnosis. But for many others, it\u2019s first encountered online: through TikToks, Reels, and carousel posts that list symptoms and offer fixes. These symptoms can include a need for constant stimulation, a persistent low-level sense of urgency, and physical effects like headaches, digestive issues, and sleep problems. The proposed solutions, meanwhile, range from clinical interventions \u2013 counselling, EMDR, pharmaceutical drugs \u2013 to everyday practices like mindfulness, forest bathing, sauna and cold plunges, and sound baths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7582625385637104927\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cFor neurodiverse individuals, resetting may be specific to sensory needs, or you may find co-regulation with a trusted loved one beneficial,\u201d says Thornton. \u201cFinding the right practice for you may be a case of trial and error or working on what\u2019s going to be feasible in your schedule, rather than create additional stress trying to do it all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>One abbreviation often listed among online \u201csolutions\u201d is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or tapping. The practice combines acupressure with cognitive therapy, involving tapping specific meridian points on the face and body while focusing on negative thoughts or sensations. It\u2019s said to send signals to the brain\u2019s amygdala, release \u201ctrapped\u201d energy, and ultimately calm the nervous system. Online, creators often suggest it as something to do at work, between high-stress meetings and looming deadlines.<\/p>\n<p>But while the end goal may be the same, dysregulation doesn\u2019t follow a prescribed path. \u201cIf your nervous system is on constant high alert due to experiencing long-term poverty, it will require a different approach than someone who is chronically dysregulated due to a background of trauma,\u201d Thornton says. \u201cThere may also be huge systemic barriers to a regulated nervous system, such as living with a long-term health condition or experiencing institutional racism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The rise of regulation techniques sits alongside a broader turn toward wellness culture, now embedded in the mainstream routine. People are frequenting saunas, masking up for red-light therapy, reaching for electrolytes and adaptogen gummies. Its popularity speaks to a wider grasp for respite in a socio-political landscape that feels increasingly fragile. But while the two are clearly linked, the fixation on nervous system regulation suggests something beyond simple wellness obsession. It points to a society-wide sense that life itself has become destabilising \u2013 not just something to escape from, but something that constantly needs fixing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7593816736701369622\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>As these practices settle into daily routines, they risk being flattened into a duty. In doing so, we\u2019re asked to take responsibility for harms inflicted by larger systems \u2013 capitalism, landlords, governments, billionaires \u2013while the underlying conditions remain unchanged. Another layer to this is the science of epigenetics, which suggests that the nervous system adapts to what it\u2019s exposed to, and that prolonged stress can leave physical changes in our DNA that carry across generations. In other words, the stress we feel may be entangled not only with the pressures of the present, but with the inherited weight of what came before us.<\/p>\n<p><span>If the real solution is removing the conditions that cause harm, it remains sadly largely out of reach. The systems producing chronic stress aren\u2019t easily dismantled. But refusing these rituals doesn\u2019t fix the system either, for many, nervous system regulation is not a lifestyle choice but an essential response to a lack of support elsewhere. What emerges instead is a turn towards each other \u2013 a mutual aid that historically surfaces in moments of collective strain. In this way, people creating regulation hacks on TikTok, sharing their experiences and symptoms, are building their own system of care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAnother tip when thinking about regulating our nervous system is to take an approach of enjoyment, rather than a focus on fixing,\u201d Thornton adds, pushing back against the idea that the body is something in need of constant correction. But when regulation stops offering relief and becomes one more thing to manage, or when self-soothing starts to replace care that doesn\u2019t exist elsewhere, it\u2019s sensible to reach out for professional help. \u201cIf you\u2019re finding that small things feel massive, feeling frequently tense or tearful, or just a general difficulty around \u2018switching off\u2019, it might be time to chat to your GP or a qualified mental health professional,\u201d says Thornton.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69413\/1\/everyone-trying-regulate-their-nervous-system-tapping-tiktok-meditation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minority Report (2002) January\u00a0 29,\u00a0 2026 Beauty \/ Beauty Feature Beauty \/ Beauty Feature Regulating your nervous system is so hot right now People are searching for ways to reset their nervous systems \u2013 but how much is the need to self-soothe personal, and how much is systemic? January\u00a0 29,\u00a0 2026 January\u00a0 29,\u00a0 2026 TextTiarna [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1543175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-1543174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1543174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1543175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1543174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1543174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1543174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}