Let’s talk about something that could change the way you do nervous system work forever.
It’s called the Minimum Effective Dose —and it’s the absolute smallest amount of something needed to produce a meaningful result. No more, no less. And when it comes to somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and trauma processing, this concept is golden.
💡 Because more isn’t always better.
The Healing Overachievers Club (We’ve All Been There)
Sometimes when people find this work, they dive all in. They start layering on practice after practice, spending hours a day trying to speed up healing.
"If one vagus nerve exercise is good, then five must be better!"
"If I do somatic work for two hours a day, I’ll heal in half the time!"
I get it. We’ve been taught that hard work = results.
But when it comes to nervous system regulation, this approach can backfire—because doing too much, too fast, too soon can actually mirror the exact conditions of trauma or dysregulation. 😬
Instead of feeling calm and grounded, we can end up feeling flooded—overwhelmed by sensations, emotions, and activation. It’s too much. And because it’s too much, our system perceives it as a threat rather than a tool for healing.
And what happens when the nervous system perceives a threat? You guessed it—it shuts it down. Or it generates MORE stress outputs - pain, discomfort, nausea, anxiety, unhelpful thoughts...
We feel like we’re "failing." We lose motivation. We disconnect from the work entirely. And then we blame ourselves, when really—
✨ We just needed less. ✨
Signs You Might Be UNDERDOING Somatic & Nervous System Practices
(Your system is still stuck in survival mode)
✔ Tension stays stuck in your body – You feel persistently tight, heavy, or achy, especially in your jaw, shoulders, or gut.
✔ Nervous system remains on high alert – You keep experiencing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or hypervigilance.
✔ Freeze response lingers – You feel numb, dissociated, or struggle with chronic fatigue and low motivation.
✔ Sleep issues persist – Either struggling to fall asleep, waking up wired, or having unrestful sleep.
✔ Emotional overwhelm feels constant – Feelings bubble up intensely, but you don’t feel able to process or release them.
✔ Digestive issues continue – Bloating, IBS symptoms, or a 'knot' in your stomach that doesn’t go away.
✔ You keep ‘forgetting’ to do the practices – Avoidance can be a subtle sign of resistance from your nervous system.
✔ Mind-body disconnection lingers – It still feels hard to notice body sensations or trust your gut feelings.
✔ You cycle between burnout & crash – Your energy swings between pushing through and total exhaustion.
✔ You're easily triggered by stress – Small setbacks send you into spirals of frustration, panic, or shutdown.
Solution: If you're underdoing it, try adding short, frequent nervous system practices (2-5 minutes) instead of big, overwhelming ones. Focus on tiny sensory shifts (e.g., pressing your feet into the floor, humming, or swaying gently).
Signs You Might Be OVERDOING Somatic & Nervous System Practices
(Your system is getting overwhelmed instead of regulated)
✔ Dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea – Overstimulating the vagus nerve too much can trigger vasovagal syncope (sudden drops in blood pressure that cause fainting or dizziness).
✔ Feeling ‘floaty’ or disoriented – Some people experience too much vagal activation, making them feel spacey or disconnected.
✔ Excessive yawning or fatigue – If you suddenly feel exhausted after practices, it could be a sign your system is shifting too fast into parasympathetic mode.
✔ Emotional flooding – If you experience overwhelming sadness, fear, or past memories rushing in, you might be moving too quickly through stored trauma.
✔ Increased headaches or tension – Overstimulating certain cranial nerves through excessive breathwork or vagus nerve activation can cause headaches.
✔ Digestive distress – Too much vagal stimulation can cause sudden diarrhea, bloating, or nausea.
✔ Feeling 'checked out' or disconnected – Over-relaxation can sometimes tip into dorsal vagal shutdown (low-energy freeze mode).
✔ Sudden heart rate drops – Intense breathwork, cold plunges, or vagus nerve stimulation can drop blood pressure too quickly, causing dizziness or fainting.
⚠ What is Vasovagal Syncope?
This is when overstimulating the vagus nerve (especially through deep breathing, sudden relaxation, or pressure on the carotid artery) causes a sudden drop in heart rate & blood pressure, leading to fainting or dizziness. People prone to vasovagal reactions should go slow, avoid extreme breathwork, and ground themselves before standing up quickly.
Solution: If you're overdoing it, dial it back. Stick to gentler, shorter practices, like subtle swaying, humming, or grounding techniques, instead of intense breathwork or deep relaxation. Pay attention to how your body feels afterward—if you feel worse, adjust accordingly.
What’s More Important Than Time Spent?
Here’s the wild thing: it’s far less important what exact tool we use, or how long we do it for, and far more important that we:
Feel intuitively called to the tool in the moment 🌿
Follow our natural, spontaneous impulses for regulation 🌀
Notice what tools our unique nervous system responds positively to 🧠
Do it for the length of time that suits us in that moment ⏳
Tiny, Sneaky, Life-Changing Doses of Regulation
Let’s get practical. Minimum Effective Dose in action might look like:
🚽 Breathing tools while on the loo (a sacred moment of peace, let’s be real)
🦷 Humming while brushing your teeth to stimulate the vagus nerve
🍳 Listening to an audio practice while cooking dinner
🌅 One deep breath in the morning before checking your phone
🎵 A quick body shake between Zoom calls🚶♀️
A 2-minute grounding practice while walking
You don’t need to book a full spa day for your nervous system—tiny micro-doses of regulation throughout the day add up big time.
Trust Your Nervous System (It Knows What’s Up)
Your body already knows how to regulate—we’re just learning how to support it. You’re not forcing healing, you’re coaxing it in, softly, gently, in a way that actually feels safe.
So next time you think, I don’t have time for a whole practice, remember:
✅ A single intentional breath,
✅ A 30-second shake,
✅ A moment of grounding
… is often enough. 💛
Your nervous system thrives on safety and gentleness, not extremes.
So let’s ditch the all-or-nothing, and let healing unfold in the smallest, most deliciously doable doses. ✨
For a toolkit of potent practices to find the perfect dose for you: explore our membership
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