How Trauma Impacts the Nervous System and Ways to Reset It

By Maria Diaz, LMHC-D, LPC, EMDR Certified Therapist

Keep Comtrol of your Head!

When most people think of trauma, they picture an event—something overwhelming, frightening, or deeply painful. But trauma isn’t just the event itself; it’s also the way our bodies and minds carry that experience forward. One of the most significant places trauma leaves its mark is in the nervous system. Understanding how trauma impacts the nervous system—and learning practical ways to reset it—can help us feel safer, calmer, and more in control of our healing journey.

How Trauma Affects the Nervous System

Our nervous system is like the body’s command center. It controls everything from our heartbeat to our stress responses, helping us navigate the world around us. When faced with danger, the nervous system activates the fight, flight, or freeze response. This is essential for survival—our heart races, muscles tense, and we become hyper-alert so we can protect ourselves.

For many people, once the threat has passed, the nervous system eventually resets and returns to a state of balance. But trauma can interrupt this process. If an experience is too overwhelming or repeated over time (like in cases of ongoing abuse, neglect, or high stress), the nervous system may get “stuck” in survival mode.

Here are a few ways this shows up:

• Hyperarousal: Feeling constantly on edge, easily startled, or anxious. It’s like the body’s alarm system is permanently switched on.

• Hypoarousal: Feeling numb, disconnected, or shut down. This can look like difficulty focusing, low energy, or feeling “out of body.”

• Difficulty regulating emotions: Trauma can make it harder to move smoothly between different emotional states. Small stressors may feel overwhelming, or feelings may seem hard to access at all.

• Physical symptoms: Headaches, digestive issues, muscle tension, or chronic fatigue often accompany a nervous system that hasn’t reset.

When the nervous system is dysregulated in this way, even everyday situations can feel unsafe or exhausting. The good news? With awareness and gentle practices, it is possible to help bring the nervous system back into balance.

Ways to Reset the Nervous System

Healing the nervous system doesn’t happen overnight, and it isn’t about forcing calm. Instead, it’s about slowly creating safety and teaching the body that it’s okay to relax again. Below are a few approaches that can support this process:

1. Grounding Practices

Grounding techniques anchor you in the present moment, which helps counteract the nervous system’s tendency to replay the past.

• Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: Name five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste.

• Place your feet firmly on the floor and notice the support beneath you. Even this small act tells your body you’re safe in the “here and now.”

2. Breath work 

Breathing is one of the simplest and most direct ways to influence the nervous system.

• Slow, deep breathing—especially exhaling longer than you inhale—activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s natural calming system.

• Try inhaling for four counts, exhaling for six counts, and repeating for a few minutes.

3. Movement

Trauma often leaves behind “trapped” survival energy in the body. Movement helps release it.

• Gentle yoga, walking, stretching, or dancing can support regulation.

• The key isn’t intensity but mindful connection—moving in ways that feel supportive rather than forced.

4. Connection with Others

The nervous system is highly responsive to safe, supportive relationships. This is sometimes called co-regulation—our bodies literally calm down in the presence of someone safe and steady.

• Spending time with trusted friends or family, engaging in therapy, or even connecting with a pet can soothe the nervous system.

5. Rest and Rhythm

Consistency and predictability help restore balance.

• Prioritizing sleep, maintaining a daily routine, and incorporating calming rituals (like journaling or evening tea) signal to the nervous system that the world is safe and predictable.

6. Professional Support

Sometimes, trauma’s impact is too overwhelming to navigate alone. Working with a trauma-informed therapist can provide guidance, structure, and tools tailored to your experience. Modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic therapy, or polyvagal-informed therapy can be especially effective in helping reset the nervous system.

A Gentle Reminder

Healing from trauma isn’t linear. Some days you may feel steady and regulated, while other days old patterns resurface. That’s okay. Your nervous system is doing its best to protect you, even if its strategies feel overwhelming at times.

With consistent, compassionate attention, it is possible to teach your body and mind that safety is available again. Each grounding breath, supportive connection, or mindful moment helps your nervous system rewrite its story.

Closing Thoughts

Trauma leaves real, lasting imprints on the nervous system, but those imprints don’t have to define you forever. By learning how your body responds to stress and practicing ways to gently reset, you’re not just managing symptoms—you’re building resilience and reclaiming a sense of peace.

If you take one message with you, let it be this: your nervous system is not broken. It’s wise, protective, and doing its best. With patience and care, you can guide it back to balance, and in doing so, create more space for calm, connection, and healing in your life.

About the Author

Maria Diaz is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in NY, NJ, and CT. She's certified in EMDR and trained in trauma-focused modalities. She is focused on healing and providing compassionate treatment to best support clients looking to feel better.

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