If your mind constantly jumps from one thought to the next…
If you lie awake replaying worst-case scenarios…
If your brain feels like it’s torturing you with overthinking…
You’re not broken — you’re stuck. Stuck in “fight or flight”.
When we look at the brains of individuals with anxiety and dysregulated nervous systems, we often see them locked in a high beta brainwave state. This is what creates “popcorn brain” — a mind that never slows down, always scanning for danger, always bracing for what might go wrong.
But here’s what most people don’t realize: This isn’t a mental problem. It’s a physiological state. Chronic stress puts your body in survival mode. And when your body is stuck in survival, your brain will be too. The mind can only calm down when the nervous system feels safe.
This is why anxiety, overthinking, and a mind that won’t quit have more to do with working on the body than the mind. It’s the state of the body that creates your state of mind.
So, when your mind feels chaotic, don’t fight the thoughts. Don’t try to think your way out. Get into your body.
Here are 5 body-based practices that calm the nervous system and quiet the popcorn brain:
1. Shaking or Rebounding
Animals shake to release stress — and so can you. Let your body tremble and move. It tells your system the threat is over. If you have a rebounder (mini trampoline), gentle bouncing has a similar effect and helps drain off residual stress hormones.
2. The Butterfly Hug
Cross your arms over your chest, resting your hands on your shoulders like a self-hug. Begin lightly tapping one shoulder, then the other. Left, right, left, right. This bilateral stimulation helps integrate overwhelm and sends signals of safety to your brain.
3. Vagus Nerve Stimulation
The vagus nerve plays a major role in regulating your nervous system. Try slow humming, long exhales, gargling, or even placing a warm compress on your chest or neck. These simple actions stimulate the vagus nerve and help shift your body into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state.
4. Sensory Grounding
Get curious about what you feel in your body. Warmth in your hands? Tension in your chest? Tingling in your spine? This shifts awareness out of racing thoughts and into embodied presence — a key to nervous system regulation.
5. Gentle Pressure or Touch
Weighted blankets, gentle squeezing of the arms, or even placing a hand over your heart can create a sense of containment and safety — telling your body it’s okay to calm down now.
Healing happens when the body feels safe. And when your body feels safe, your mind stops trying to protect you with constant thinking. A regulated nervous system is the foundation of a peaceful mind, a healthy body, and a fulfilling life.
