Mastering the art of nervous system regulation at work
How nervous system regulation can set the tone of a workplace and give you an edge in your career
In the tech-heavy world of modern work environments, the ability to regulate one’s nervous system is becoming increasingly recognised as a valuable workplace skill. As we spend our work days moving between in-person and online meetings and navigating various team dynamics, our nervous system is constantly scanning for signs of connection with our work ‘tribe’ and signalling the alarm whenever things feel off. As our internal security and awareness centre, our nervous system plays a crucial role in our overall well-being and productivity at work. Understanding how to manage and regulate your nervous system effectively not only improves your relationships, increases your ability to focus and leads to better mental health outcomes- but it might also be the most valuable transferable skill on your resume.
Knowing how to regulate our own nervous system can also contribute to a culture of safety and connection, since our autonomic nervous systems are continually sending signals and communicating with each other through the Social Engagement System. The social engagement system enables us to engage in socially adaptive behaviors like facial expressions, vocalisations, and eye contact. When we are feeling calm and regulated, this system operates optimally and helps us scan facial expressions, adjust the tone of our voice, maintain eye contact and co-regulate with those aorund us. It’s essentially the mechanics of our emotional intelligence.
So when this system is functioning well, we feel safe and are able to connect with others in a calm and engaged manner. The colleagues and clients we interact with, in turn, recieve signals from our regulated nervous system that tells them they are being heard and there is a strong connection. Polyvagal theory refers to this awareness as neuroception; how our nervous system detects cues of safety, danger, or threat in our environment, often subconsciously. This neuroception influences whether we feel safe and open to connection or guarded, distrustful and defensive. So if you are able to recognise when you are becoming disregulated and help your body return to a regulated state, this also creates a ripple effect as the people around you also feel more calm, settled and secure.
Nervous System Regulation as a career skill
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), regulates involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. It consists of two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), responsible for the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), responsible for the rest-and-digest response. Balancing these two branches is essential for maintaining a state of calm alertness, which is known as the "window of tolerance."
As our workplaces continue to become more screen-based and the role of AI and automation expands, the constant pressure to be “on” or present online through messaging apps, email and social media is leaving people feeling depleted and detached from real human-to-human interactions. As a result, we are seeing more people experiencing screen fatigue, social aversion, detachment and chronic stress. This creates a disconnected work culture, due to the lack of genuine trust and authentic connections between team members and between managers and their staff.
In an online world dominated by sterilised and automated interactions, there is a growing pushback; a demand for more human-centred connections and tech-free spaces. An example of this is The Offline Club, a group in the Netherlands that cooridnate events in cafes, churches and town halls where people pay to leave their mobile phones at the door and hang-out, chat, play board games, do craft, and read in peace. The growing popularity of these events is a testament to the screen-time overload we are experiencing collectively and signifies the increasing demand for a slower pace of life that involves more meaningful in-person connections.
It is clear that this cultural shift is in it’s early stages but will continue to build momentum and influence all aspects of society- including our workplaces. This isn’t even accounting for the generations of young people who are growing up attached to their screens-what will it look like when they enter the workforce? How will they cope with difficult conversations, office politics and forming professional connections? With all these factors in mind, it’s becoming clear that those who have mastered the art of nervous system regulation and who can appropriately move between states and bring a sense of anchored calm to a room or a group dynamic, will be come valuable and sought-after team members, leaders and business owners.
Practices and tools to support your ability to self-regulate at work:
So where do you begin? Yes there are courses and books and online how-to’s but the most important aspect of self-regulation is being aware of when your nervous system is disregulated and knowing what works for you, when returning to a state of ease. Deb Dana refers to these signals as triggers (what moves you into a disregulated state; people, places, situations, certain tasks, certain dynamics etc) and glimmers (what brings you back into a place of calm and ease; people, places, breathing rhythms, feelings, emotions, touch, sound etc). Becoming more familiar with both your sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response) and your parasympathetic nervous system, which includes the vagal state of ease and connection, is the most beneficial first step to building awareness and skills for self-regulation.
Below are some tools for returning to ease and activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Experiment with these to find which ones work for you.
Coherent Breathing
How to do it: Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 4-6 seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth for the same count. Aim for a total of 5-6 breaths per minute.
Benefits: This practice helps regulate heart rate variability and activate the parasympathetic nervous system and is something you can easily do at your desk, in between meetings, or while walking between appointments.
Vocal Exercises
How to do it: Engage in gentle humming, singing, or chanting. Try humming at a low pitch, as this can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Benefits: Vocal exercises stimulate the vagus nerve and can enhance the sense of calm and social connection. This one obviously needs privacy but is easy and accessible, a great way to anchor yourself before a presentation or zoom meeting where you will be speaking and using your voice. You can also find humming tracks on spotify to hum along with.
Safe and Soothing Touch
How to do it: Use gentle self-touch or self-massage techniques, such as rubbing your arms or legs, or placing a hand on your heart. There are also many accupressure points that can stimulate the vagal nerve, such as CV 17 – located in the center of the chest and HT 7 – located on the wrist.
Benefits: Gentle touch can promote feelings of safety and relaxation, activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
I would love to hear about any other tools that you find more useful for keeping regulated at work? Please share in the comments below and continue the conversation- do you feel our workplaces have become overtaken by screen time and the expectation to always be online? How can we balance out our need for technology with our need for real, authentic connection? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Are you ready to create more ease in your work routine?
Book a Career Alignment Session to explore your career story, navigate your current worklife issues and discover how you were designed to connect with others and keep healthy at work.