Finding Stillness: Mindfulness for Trauma & Nervous System Healing
This morning, I sat outside in a space that’s usually filled with movement and noise. But for a few sacred minutes, everything stilled.
All I heard was the gentle cascade of a fountain and birdsong.
No tasks. No pressure. Just presence.
That’s what regulation can feel like. In those moments, our nervous system gets a chance to settle, and we remember: peace is possible. This post will guide you through how to create that kind of stillness in your own life through mindfulness, nervous system education, and practical trauma-informed tools.
What Trauma Does to the Nervous System
Understanding the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
The ANS is your body’s survival control center. It includes:
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) – Activates fight, flight, or freeze when under stress.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) – Helps you rest, digest, and return to baseline.
When trauma is chronic, your body can get stuck in hyperarousal (anxiety, irritability) or hypoarousal (numbness, disconnection).
This isn’t weakness. It’s your nervous system trying to protect you.
The Cost of Constant Activation
Trouble focusing or sleeping
Emotional outbursts or shutdown
Panic attacks, chronic pain, or GI distress
Feeling “on edge” or “not here”
How Mindfulness Helps Heal Trauma
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment on purpose and without judgment. It creates space between you and the automatic reactions your trauma may have trained into your body.
Mindfulness Benefits for Trauma Survivors
Lowers cortisol and stress reactivity
Enhances emotion regulation
Rebuilds trust with your body
Improves memory, focus, and clarity
Increases parasympathetic activity (calming response)
Important: If you have trauma, mindfulness should be trauma-informed, gentle, flexible, and grounded in safety.
Grounding Skills: 4 Mindfulness Tools You Can Use Anywhere
1. Mindful Breathing
Count: Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6.
Repeat for 3–5 breaths.
Let your exhale be longer than your inhale. This signals “safety” to your body.
2. Sensory Awareness
Pick one sense (like sound or sight) and focus all your attention there. Example: Close your eyes and name every sound you hear in 60 seconds.
3. Anchor Objects
Keep a stone, essential oil, small photo, or calming object nearby. When you touch or see it, let it cue your body to slow down.
4. The Five Senses Reset
When you’re overwhelmed or disconnected:
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
This helps regulate your nervous system and return to the present moment.
The Neuroscience of Being Present
Mindfulness isn’t just relaxing, it’s restructuring your brain.
Activates the prefrontal cortex (focus, regulation, decision-making)
Decreases reactivity in the amygdala (fear + threat detection)
Builds tolerance for distress without spiraling into panic, shutdown, or overwhelm
It’s not about stopping thoughts, it’s about changing your relationship with them.
Making Mindfulness Sustainable
Start small and make it yours:
Anchor it to daily tasks – Try 3 breaths before you check your email.
Use technology – Set a reminder or use an app like Insight Timer.
Be compassionate – You will get distracted. That’s part of the practice.
You don’t need to meditate for 30 minutes a day. You just need to come back to yourself, again and again.
Recommended Resources
Books
The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk
Radical Acceptance – Tara Brach
Full Catastrophe Living – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Waking the Tiger – Peter Levine
Apps
Websites
Final Reflection
Stillness isn’t the absence of stress.
It’s the presence of self-awareness.
You’re allowed to pause.
To feel.
To breathe.
To come home to yourself.
Looking for a Trauma Therapist Who Gets It?
At Strong Self Psychotherapy, I specialize in therapy for high-stress, high-pressure, and high-profile professionals: first responders, medical staff, legal professionals, aviation personnel, and those constantly holding it all together.
Whether you’re burned out, anxious, or quietly falling apart, I see you and I can help.
