8 Nervous System Healing Practices After Narcissistic Abuse

Feeling constantly on edge after narcissistic abuse? Discover 8 powerful nervous system healing practices that soothe anxiety, regulate trauma responses, and help you feel safe in your body again. 

When you’ve lived through narcissistic abuse, your nervous system doesn’t just take a hit—it stays stuck in survival mode. Hypervigilance, panic, insomnia, shutdown, emotional overwhelm—these aren’t just emotional scars. They’re physiological responses wired into your body. 🔥 

But there’s good news: you can rewire your nervous system for safety, connection, and peace. With somatic practices, breathwork, and trauma-informed regulation techniques, it’s possible to shift from a constant fight-or-flight state into a grounded, healing rhythm. ✨ 

This blog shares 8 trauma-informed nervous system healing tools to help you reconnect with your body, restore inner calm, and reclaim your sense of self. 

1. Grounding Through Your Senses 👣 

Trauma disconnects us from the present moment. Grounding practices help bring us back. 

Try this: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding: 

• 5 things you can see 👀 

• 4 things you can touch 🤲 

• 3 things you can hear 👂 

• 2 things you can smell 👃 

• 1 thing you can taste 👅 

Do this slowly, with curiosity—not judgment. Let your senses anchor you in the now. 

🌀 Why it helps: Regulates the vagus nerve, brings the body out of dissociation, and creates a felt sense of safety. 

2. Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing 🌬️ 

Narcissistic abuse often traps us in shallow, chest-level breathing. Deep belly breathing signals to the brain: “I am safe now.” 

Try this: 

• Place one hand on your belly, one on your chest. 

• Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 seconds. 

• Feel your belly rise—not your chest. 

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds. 

• Repeat for 2–5 minutes. 

🌀 Why it helps: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), reduces cortisol, and calms racing thoughts. 

3. Vagus Nerve Activation Techniques 🔔 

The vagus nerve is your body’s built-in calm switch. Stimulating it directly helps regulate trauma symptoms. 

Try this: 

• Humming or singing 🎵 

• Gargling water 💧 

• Splashing cold water on your face ❄️ 

🌀 Why it helps: Encourages vagal tone, improves heart rate variability, and supports emotional resilience. 

4. Orienting to Safety 🕊️ 

When we’re trauma-activated, we forget to check: is it actually safe right now? 

Try this: Gently turn your head from side to side. Let your eyes move slowly, taking in your environment. Name what feels safe or neutral: a window, a plant, a pet. 

🌀 Why it helps: Helps signal to the brain that the danger has passed. This interrupts trauma loops and encourages the nervous system to relax. 

5. Somatic Tracking 🧘‍♀️ 

Somatic tracking is the art of following your body’s sensations with curiosity—not fear. 

Try this: 

• Sit or lie down in a quiet space. 

• Notice a sensation (tightness, tingling, warmth). 

• Stay with it gently. Ask: does it shift? Move? Soften? 

🌀 Why it helps: Increases interoception (awareness of the body’s internal signals) and reduces fear of sensation, which is key in trauma recovery. 

6. Tapping / EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) ✋ 

Tapping is a simple, research-backed tool that calms the stress response by tapping specific points on the body. 

Try this: Tap gently on points like your eyebrow, side of the eye, under the nose, chin, collarbone while repeating affirmations: “I am safe.” “It wasn’t my fault.” “I am healing.” 

🌀 Why it helps: Lowers stress hormones, rewires beliefs, and restores nervous system balance. 

7. Movement That Feels Good 🕺 

Narcissistic abuse can make your body feel like a war zone. Gentle, joyful movement reconnects you to it in safe ways. 

Try this: 

• Walk barefoot in nature 🌿 

• Put on music and sway or stretch 🌀 

• Do 5–10 minutes of yoga or Qi Gong 

🌀 Why it helps: Releases stored trauma, reduces muscle tension, and restores agency in your own body. 

8. Safe Connection & Co-Regulation 🤝 

Healing happens in safe relationships. Even one regulated, caring connection can rewire a traumatised nervous system. 

Try this: 

• Spend time with someone who makes you feel calm and accepted 

• Engage in pet therapy 🐾 

• Join a trauma-informed support group 

🌀 Why it helps: Co-regulation restores your ability to feel safe in relationship, something narcissistic abuse often damages deeply. 

🌱 Final Thoughts: Your Body Wants to Heal 

These practices are not about fixing you—they’re about meeting you. Right here, right now. Nervous system healing is a daily act of self-love and safety. You deserve to feel peace in your body again. 

Start with one or two tools that resonate. Let consistency—not perfection—guide your healing journey. 💛