As we often explore in sessions, checking in with your body can reveal a lot about what’s happening internally. One helpful way to understand these experiences is through the lens of the nervous system.
The attached handout outlines three main nervous system states. While these states are often described separately, human experience is rarely so clear-cut. Sometimes we’re in blended states, where multiple responses are active at once — for example, feeling both anxious and withdrawn. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong; it simply reflects your nervous system adapting.
The handout includes reflection questions to help you explore:
- Which state(s) your body spends the most time in
- Situations or cues that activate these states
- Thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that follow
These questions are meant to build awareness and curiosity, not to label or diagnose.
You’ll also find regulating practices to experiment with. These are options, not prescriptions — ways to explore what helps your body feel more settled. Alongside these practices are prompts to identify personal cues of safety — small signals that let your nervous system know it’s okay to soften or slow down.
Finally, the handout includes a daily plan to help you create a self-regulating routine. Your routine may change from day to day, and that’s okay. The goal is responsiveness, not perfection.
As always, approach this gently. You’re welcome to bring reflections, experiences, or questions back to our sessions, where we can explore them together.into our sessions, where we can explore them together.
Optional Resource
If you’re curious to learn a bit more about the framework that informs this handout, the nervous system states described here are drawn from polyvagal theory. You don’t need to understand the theory in depth to work with your body in this way, but some people find it helpful to have a bit more context.
A clear and accessible introduction can be found here:
https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/polyvagal-theory