Havening Technique for Chronic Fatigue
For individuals with a dysregulated nervous system, healing can often feel like a slow, uncertain process. Havening provides a way to experience relief almost immediately. This touch is designed to stimulate the sensory nerves and activate delta waves in the brain, which are associated with relaxation and healing. The technique is not only effective for managing stress but can also create emotional breakthroughs and helps the nervous system to create a sense of safety.
This technique was a personal game changer for me. I recommend it to anyone navigating chronic fatigue, POTS, PTSD, fibromyalgia, or any condition where the nervous system feels overworked and overwhelmed.
How it works
The Havening Technique involves simple, soothing touch combined with a focused mental process to help regulate the nervous system. It works by soothing the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotional processing. The technique helps to lower cortisol levels, reduce muscle tension, and alleviate the physical discomfort. This makes it an accessible, non-invasive tool for improving both emotional and physical health.
Over time, repeated use of Havening helps to retrain the brain to respond more calmly to stress, leading to more stable emotional responses and better regulation of the autonomic nervous system, which governs essential functions like heart rate and digestion.
Here is a video: 5 Minute Self-Havening Practice to Release Stress with Dr. Kate Truitt
How To Do Havening
Havening is really easy to learn. To begin, a person gently strokes their hands on their face, arms, or hands, using a soft, calming motion. One indication that you are doing this technique correctly is you might start to yawn. Sometimes this has led to crying. One indication that you are doing this technique correctly is you might start to yawn. Sometimes this has led to crying. Crying can be a sign of emotional processing or a sign of emotional flooding.
Emotional flooding happens when you become overwhelmed by intense emotions like fear, sadness, or anger, making it hard to think clearly or respond calmly. Your body may go into fight-or-flight mode, and you might shut down, lash out, or freeze. This is a sign that your nervous system is overloaded and needs to pause and reset.
Emotional processing feels different. You might feel lighter, emotionally drained, or quietly clear — like something has shifted inside you. There may be a sense of release, relief, or even a calm emptiness, as if you’ve made space for something new. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a deep exhale or a quiet feeling of peace.
If you start to feel off or overwhelmed, stop immediately. Unfortunately, for people with nervous system sensitivities, even gentle practices can be too much at times.
This technique was a personal game changer for me. I recommend it to anyone navigating chronic fatigue, POTS, PTSD, fibromyalgia, or any condition where the nervous system feels overworked and overwhelmed. For people who often feel tired, overwhelmed, or stressed, Havening doesn’t take a lot of energy. One of the best things is that you can do it just about anywhere, at home, in bed or even while sitting quietly at school.
Similar Practice: The Tapping Solution
Another similar approach is The Tapping Solution (also known as EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique). Instead of caressing, it uses gentle tapping on specific acupressure points. I personally didn’t find tapping as helpful for me, but many people have had great success with it. Everyone responds differently, and it’s important to explore what works best for your unique system.
I have a video link here to a YouTube video that demonstrates this technique.
How to Tap with Jessica Ortner: Emotional Freedom Technique Informational Video
