25 ways to turn yourself off
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Our Biggest Physical Turn Offs
Return to your body by turning off your senses and reducing over stimulation
Before we amplify our somatic selves, we often need to find quiet within—to find your yin. Overstimulation from our regular lives keeps us stuck in performance or productivity mode. These are tips and tricks to drown out the noise that makes us hyper active. Learn how to quiet the world around and inside you, and return to your body.
tldr;
- Skip to the table with easy practices of play to calm your nervous system
- Slow is fast, and fast is slow
- Learn why it works with evidence-based research and methods
ᥫ Release Overstimulation. Return to your Body.
These practices of play turns off your senses so you can refocus your mind. We are melting away the abundance of signals your body subconsciously receives.
| Sense | Low Effort – Medium Impact | Medium Effort – High Impact |
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| Sight |
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| Sound |
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| Touch |
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| Taste |
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| Smell |
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✖ Common Misinterpretations
Turning off the senses isn't about numbing out—it's about clearing space. When you gently silence the overstimulation of the external world, you create room for internal sensation and intuitive presence to rise. You come back to yourself—not through effort, but through quiet relief.
Turning-off, does not mean drowning-out. We do NOT recommend:
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Using substances—like alcohol, weed, over-using medications—to quiet your somatic senses. When you alter your mental state and ability to process stimuli, you're also limiting your pleasure potential. Of course we ALL do this (I choose a glass of bourbon to wind down last night), the recommendation is rather for advising it doesn't become a default and avoiding substances for moments you want to rediscover your primal self.
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Ignoring—there are hidden costs with playing pretend. You'll notice that each of the practices of play above create a change of context. When you avoid a change—like stuffing dirty laundry in a closet—you're mind becomes preoccupied and the root of the problem festers. The physical overstimulation is removed, but your mind's is reactivated.
Our suggestions are a starting point. Help regulate your nervous system, start by removing the root of your overstimulation.
᭡ Modern-science support Ancient Practices
At the heart of your nervous system lies the vagus nerve—a long, wandering nerve that connects your brain to your heart, lungs, gut, and somatic sense. It’s a key player in regulating your body’s stress and relaxation responses. When the vagus nerve is active, your body enters what’s called the parasympathetic state—often referred to as rest-and-digest mode. You feel calm, grounded, and emotionally open.
But modern life keeps many of us in overdrive: flooded with noise, bright lights, textures, screens, and expectations. Research from polyvagal theory and sensory modulation science shows that too much sensory stimulation overwhelms the vagus nerve, activating the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) system instead. This can lead to tension, anxiety, disconnection, or even numbness.
The solution? Turning down the sensory volume.
Creating low-stimulation environments—dimming lights, silencing devices, softening fabrics, neutralizing smells—gives your vagus nerve room to breathe. It restores autonomic balance, shifting you back into a state of internal safety, emotional fluidity, and embodied presence. In this calmer baseline, your body can receive touch, desire, and intimacy with greater ease.
Porges SW. Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety. Front Integr Neurosci. 2022 May 10;16:871227. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2022.871227. PMID: 35645742; PMCID: PMC9131189.
⊹ Final Thoughts
Slow is fast, and fast is slow. When you're trying to shift into your pleasure, begin by slowing down. To slow your mind, start by slowing your sensory inputs. Gently silence the overstimulation of the external world, you create room for internal sensation and intuitive presence to rise. You come back to yourself—you find your yin.
After I've turned myself off, how should I turn myself on again?
How does this fit in the bigger picture of my sexuality?
