I Tried 5-Minute Nervous-System Resets Every Day for a Week—This Is the One That Actually Worked

I'm going to caveat something right at the start: I am the least zen person, ever. I've never been what you'd describe as chill - something that, as I've got older and life has got more - well, complex, let's say - has only got worse.

Three kids, a dog and a job (albeit one that I love) combine to make my days not only wonderfully full but also ever so slightly chaotic, too. Let me tell you, family life (especially when it includes parenting teenagers) is not for the faint-hearted.

It's something I'm all too aware I need to work on. I'm not really one for tracking stats and metrics, but I have been wearing an Oura ring for a couple of years now, and if there's one thing it's great at, it's telling me when I'm stressed. Which seems to be all the time. Combine this with fluctuating hormones in perimenopause, and it's safe to say it's a recipe for nervous system disaster.

I know I'm not alone, but as a Health and Fitness Writer, I'm also painfully aware of the toll a dysregulated nervous system is having on my health, both mental and physical. And the science agrees: studies (like this one, published in the journal Future Science OA) show that long-term stress impacts brain health, immune function, sleep, gut health and can trigger inflammation. So far, so worrying - but it's not all bad news, as there are simple ways we can all work on regulating our nervous system to reduce overall stress.

But the fact is that I need simple, and I need quick. So, when I was asked to test out some five-minute nervous system resets every day for a week, it felt like the perfect challenge. Keep scrolling to find out how I got on, but in the meantime, you might be interested to read up on how our Health Writers got on when we tried swapping an evening scroll for a 20-minute wind-down ritual, stacking our week with low-stimulation moments and living more optimistically for a month, here.

Think 5-Minutes Isn’t Enough To Soothe Your Nervous System? I Tested It - Here's What Worked

What are 5-minute nervous system resets?

In a refreshing change from much of the wellness space, five-minute nervous system resets are exactly what you'd think they are: five minutes of intentional calming practices, designed to work as a kind of stress circuit breaker, if you will.

"Five-minute nervous system resets are short, intentional practices that help shift the body out of a stress response state and back into a calmer, more regulated mode," explains Dr Tom Maggs, chief medical officer at Healthwords. "They work by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for rest, digestion, recovery and emotional balance. These resets are deliberately simple and low effort, making them easy to integrate into daily life.

"Breathwork, stepping outside for fresh air, walking without a phone, grounding exercises, gentle stretching, or even splashing cool water on the face can all act as quick interventions that interrupt the cycle of chronic stress many people experience throughout the day." Sounds good, right?

What are the benefits of 5-minute nervous system resets?

Most of us probably know that a calm and regulated nervous system is unequivocally a good thing, but it's not always easy to achieve - especially when we're being bombarded with wellness advice at every turn.

So, what exactly are the benefits of five-minute nervous system resets? Let's dive in.

1. They're an antidote to 'always on' culture

Finding modern life draining? Yep, us too. Productivity and hustle culture are very real, and we're all constantly bombarded with notifications, emails, messages and more - all day, every day. The solution? A few five-minute rests scattered throughout the day can make all the difference.

"Short breaks can help reduce the sense of being constantly 'on' and give you an opportunity to come down from that heightened state," shares Dr Tom MacLaren, consultant psychiatrist at Recognition Health. "Mentally, they can help with stress, irritability and feeling overwhelmed, while also giving you a chance to return to a task with a clearer head."

2. They calm our stress response

As you'd expect, short nervous system resets are quite literally designed to calm our stress response and help us move from a fight-or-flight state into our parasympathetic nervous system (a relaxed state).

“When we’re stressed, our bodies can enter a heightened state of alert, which can affect everything from our heart rate and breathing to our ability to concentrate," explains Yetunde Bankole, Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Vitality. "A short calming practice can help interrupt that immediate stress response, allowing us to slow our breathing, release some physical tension and feel more grounded."

3. They help us think more clearly

Struggling to focus? You're not alone.

"Mentally, even a brief pause can help create some distance from racing thoughts or feelings of overwhelm, which may make it easier to think clearly and respond to a situation rather than simply react to it," shares Bankole.

4. They boost resilience

If there's one metric I track consistently, it's resilience. But far from simply being a nice-to-have, resilience is crucial not only to help us deal with the stress and pressures of the here and now, but also to future-proof our bodies (and brains) to be able to handle life's curveballs when they arise, too.

And while they might not sound like much, short five-minute nervous system resets are a brilliant way to work on and improve our resilience.

"Five-minute nervous system resets activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which supports recovery, improves mood, and can make you more resilient to ongoing stress," shares Dr Mayoni Gooneratne, executive medical director of PHC Clinics.

5. They relax the body

The benefits of a five-minute nervous system reset extend way beyond the brain. Just as we can feel stress within our bodies, we can also experience the benefit of reducing it physically.

"There is a physical side to this too," agrees Dr MacLaren. "When we're stressed, we can hold tension in our muscles, breathe more shallowly and feel our heart rate increase. Slowing down and breathing more calmly can help the body move towards a more relaxed state."

The result? Improved sleep, mood, energy and focus. Tell us again why we don't have time for them...

The 5-minute nervous system resets I tried

Honestly, I'm not exaggerating when I say that one of the toughest parts of this trial was which resets to choose - there are a plethora of nervous system-boosting habits that I'm convinced I'd benefit from - so I asked the experts to help me narrow it down.

The one they all recommend? Breathwork. This can take a few different forms - a physiological sigh (a normal breath in followed by another, shorter one and a deep exhale), box breathing (inhaling, holding, exhaling and pausing for four seconds each) and slow, diaphragmatic breathing are all great options here.

Additionally, I opt for grounding, walking in nature, gentle movement, doing nothing (bliss!) and a five-minute brain dump - but really, it's all very subjective; the trick is to find what calms and relaxes you, and go with that.

When should we be using 5-minute nervous system resets?

Always one for the details, I want to know exactly how and when to perform these nervous system resets (that Type A personality can be a hurdle!) - but the experts do share a word of caution here.

"It's important not to overstate what five minutes can do," cautions Dr MacLaren. "These resets aren't a cure for anxiety, depression or chronic stress, but they are a very accessible way of supporting your mental wellbeing and managing everyday pressure."

Noted. And I also need to let that perfectionism slide, too. "The most effective resets are simple and repeatable," shares Dr Maggs. "Choosing something you can do anywhere makes it easier to build the habit. Repeating these practices regularly allows the benefits to compound over time. The aim is not perfection, but creating small moments where the body can shift out of 'fight or flight'."

Crucially - and this is something I'm totally guilty of - this is as much about practising these habits when you're not stressed and overwhelmed as it is remembering to utilise them when you are under pressure.

"We can use these techniques as many times as we wish," advises yoga teacher and wellness practitioner, Jack Bryant. "However, the nervous system learns through repetition. Consistency is better than doing one long session a week because it trains your brain to access a state of calm on demand.

"As with any practice, it needs to be sustainable. If every other day is sustainable for you, that’s perfect. If you have time for once, or even twice, a day, enjoy."

I tried 5-minute nervous system resets every day for a week - here's what really works

Days one to three: breathwork and gentle movement

To say I'm keen to get started is an understatement - my kids have just returned to school after what feels like the longest summer ever - and my nervous system is in shreds. So, I need to pull out the big guns for the first few days - hence why I plump for breathwork (the universally backed habit that the experts maintain really works) and gentle movement.

If I'm completely honest, breathwork is something I've always been a little apprehensive about. As an anxious person, my breathing is always one of the first things to go when I'm feeling under pressure, so I've previously shied away from focusing on it, more through fear than anything else.

However, breathwork and nervous system regulation expert Sam Adams reassures me I'm far from alone, here, and she gives me a few entry-level exercises to try out.

"Breathing at a slow, steady rhythm can help organise the interaction between our breathing, heart rhythm and the pressure-regulating reflexes of the cardiovascular system," she tells me. "It gives the nervous system a predictable pattern to follow, which may reduce some of the internal 'noise' we experience when we’re stressed or overloaded."

So, during one typically busy morning, I take myself off and sit quietly, preparing to focus solely on breathing in and out. Adams recommends a rhythmic breathing practice, where I allow my shoulders and jaw to soften and spend the first 30 seconds simply noticing my breathing without trying to change it.

Next, I breathe gently in through my nose for a count of five and gently out for a count of five, aiming to keep the breath smooth, quiet and comfortable.

"The important thing is not to take big, deep breaths," advises Adams. "Think rhythm rather than volume: the breath should feel light and unforced. If five seconds feels too long, shorten the count to four seconds in and four seconds out. If you feel lightheaded, strained or uncomfortable, return to your normal breathing."

Full disclosure: it takes me a little while to settle into it and to calm my racing mind, but before I know it, my shoulders have dropped, and I swear my heart rate has slowed. Overall, I've been tapped out of my real life for less than 10 minutes, and I'm already feeling calmer.

The tricky part, for me, is remembering to repeat the process a few times each day - I'm a one-and-done kind of person, so it's tempting to think I've ticked breathwork off once I've tried it - but I have the experts' comments about consistency ringing in my ears. I find setting a timer on my phone each hour helps, too.

Next up, some gentle movement. Despite owning a walking pad under my desk, I'm a sucker for sitting down while I'm working (I feel like I can focus better when my body is still), and I'm guilty of spending hours typing in the same position. I know from stiffness in my back and neck that I could absolutely do with taking more movement breaks, so I'm keen to see if these five-minute breaks will help.

Unlike breathwork, I find incorporating gentle movement way more intuitive - a few shoulder rolls force me into improved posture and encourage me to take more mini breaks generally - walking to the kettle to make a cuppa counts, right?

The key word here is gentle - this isn't a workout, and it's not supposed to be taxing. It's simply about stepping away from the chaos of the day for a few seconds - and I'm pleasantly surprised to discover that I feel more focused and productive for it, too.

Days four to seven: doing nothing, morning grounding and a 5-minute brain dump

So far, so successful: I'm really enjoying these micro-breaks in my day. I'm even making a bit of a ritual of simple things like lighting a candle mid-morning (the perfect mood boost on these gloomier autumnal days), and it's clear that almost anything can be a mindful nervous system reset when approached with an open mind.

Task number three could not be more exciting: doing nothing. That's right: absolutely nothing.

"I think there's something to be said for doing nothing at all," shares Dr MacLaren. "We have become incredibly used to filling every spare moment with our phones. Sitting with a coffee, looking out of the window or simply allowing yourself five minutes without stimulation can feel surprisingly restorative."

But while it sounds appealing, I actually find this one really challenging. My mind is going at a million miles an hour, and I can't stop thinking about my never-ending to-do list: sitting still and doing nothing feels almost punitive rather than restorative. So, after a couple of days trying, I park this one, on the advice of the experts.

"For some people, sitting still isn't relaxing at all, so gentle movement or stretching may work better," notes Dr MacLaren. "There really isn't one perfect reset. It's about finding what helps you feel calmer and more present."

Onwards and upwards - there's no failure here. Onto the next reset, and it's one I'm well acquainted with: morning grounding. Over the summer, when I knew my days were going to be filled with demands and busyness, I made myself go outside each morning and - as the kids say - touch grass, focusing on what all my senses were tuned into. Turns out, I was onto something.

"Grounding techniques can be really useful as a way to regulate the nervous system," notes Bankole. "Simply taking a moment to notice what you can see, hear and physically feel around you can bring your attention back to the present. This grounding technique is particularly useful because it is you telling your brain that there is nothing threatening in your immediate environment. You engage your senses to communicate that you're safe, in order to interrupt that stress response and invite calm."

Some experts suggest using a 5-4-3-2-1 method to tune into each sense in turn, but really, you can do whatever works for you. I found a few deep breaths with my eyes closed, breathing in nature and listening to the sounds, were incredibly soothing.

Last but not least, it was time for the five-minute brain dump.

"If your stress is being driven by mental overload, write down everything competing for your attention," advises GP, longevity expert and founder of HUM2N, Dr Mohammed Enayat. "Don't organise it initially - just get it out of your head. Then identify one thing you can deal with now and what can wait. Often the nervous system isn't responding to one enormous problem, but to the feeling that twenty unfinished things require your attention simultaneously."

Now this one I really could engage with - I feel like I was born making lists, so I'm firmly back in my comfort zone, and it ticks the box of me feeling vaguely productive at the same time, too.

And you know what? Writing everything down had the unexpected benefit of making my to-do list feel slightly more achievable - maybe those chores really do magnify in the mind.

My verdict

If it's not already patently clear from the above, I'd be more than happy if someone were to insist that I continue with all of these 5-minute nervous system resets, but, you know - life - so, if I have to choose, there's one clear winner.

Drumroll please: it's breathwork. For a myriad of reasons (including you can do it anywhere, anytime and without anyone batting an eyelid), focussing on my breath is absolutely one I'm adding to my daily essentials going forward.

Not only was it incredibly simple to do, but unlike some of the other resets, I found it immediately effective: even just a few short breaths and a deeper exhale forced me to drop my shoulders (it's almost impossible to have your shoulders by your ears when doing any kind of breathwork) and I felt instantly calmer - a win, by anyone's standards.

I'm sold - I'll absolutely be continuing to use this habit throughout my days, whether I'm stressed out, totally zen or somewhere in between. More than this, though, the whole week has shown me that five minutes really can work wonders, if you put your mind to it.

I can safely say this isn't just a trend: taking a few moments out of your day now and again can help restore perspective, improve focus and - most importantly - help you feel calmer. And couldn't we all benefit from that?

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