9 Micro Habits for Self-Regulation of Trauma or Anxiety

Sep 5, 2025

Discover nine transformative habits that help regulate anxiety and trauma. Learn how setting clear intentions can set the tone for your day. Emphasizing the importance of slowing down, you'll find ways to adopt a calming morning routine. Techniques like checking in with your body and scheduling true rest make a difference. Explore movement to expand your emotional tolerance and wind down with soothing rituals for better sleep. These practical tips aim to retrain your nervous system for a balanced life.

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INSIGHT

Nervous System As An Alarm

Trauma and chronic anxiety act like an overly sensitive car alarm, keeping the nervous system stuck in activation.
Retraining aims to shift from sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic balance so recovery is faster.

ADVICE

Start Days With An Actionable Intention

Set an actionable intention each morning instead of trying to not feel stressed.
Write it down or spend one minute visualizing the chosen behavior to create forward momentum.

ADVICE

Slow Down To Signal Safety

Slow down deliberately in movements, speech, and transitions to signal safety to your brain.
Build pause routines like three slow breaths before meetings or checking in before meals.

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Learn daily habits for trauma and anxiety self-regulation, focusing on nervous system regulation and dysregulation to manage stress and PTSD. Free Grounding Skills for Anxiety or PTSD course: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd

Learn the skills to Regulate your Emotions, join the membership: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/membership

Safe Place visualization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isw37iCwMCg&t=6s

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNqYG95j_UQ

Living with Trauma or PTSD can feel like your nervous system is constantly on high alert—like an overly sensitive car alarm that goes off at the slightest trigger. This state of nervous system dysregulation can leave you tense, hypervigilant, anxious, angry, or completely burnt out. But the good news is that you can retrain your body toward balance and calm through simple, consistent practices. In this video, you’ll learn 9 science-based daily habits for trauma and daily habits for anxiety that promote nervous system regulation. These micro habits include setting clear intentions, slowing down instead of rushing, creating a calm morning routine, scheduling true rest, checking in with your body, restoring a sense of safety, and developing skills to bounce back after triggers. You’ll also learn how to expand your window of tolerance with movement and end your day with soothing wind-down rituals. Healing your nervous system doesn’t mean you’ll never feel stress again—it means you’ll feel safer, calmer, and more confident in your ability to recover quickly. With small daily changes, you can reduce anxiety, improve resilience, and support lasting recovery from trauma.

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.