WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.189
In this episode, you'll discover how to regulate your nervous system when anxiety, stress, or overwhelm starts affecting how you think, feel, and respond Welcome to Creating Midlife Calm, the podcast where you and I tackle stress and anxiety in midlife so you can stop feeling like crap, feel more present at home, and thrive at work.
00:00:22.789 --> 00:00:36.225
I'm MJ Murray Vachon, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 50,000 hours of therapy sessions and three decades of teaching practical science-backed mental wellness Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:36.615 --> 00:00:38.276
Imagine it's late afternoon.
00:00:38.665 --> 00:00:41.975
You get an email from your boss that says,"Can you call me?
00:00:42.076 --> 00:00:50.316
We need to talk." Or maybe it's a text from your adult child or your aging parent with almost the same message,"Can you call me?
00:00:50.526 --> 00:00:54.140
I need to talk to you now." You don't know what's wrong yet.
00:00:54.570 --> 00:01:01.939
You just know someone important wants to talk, and before you've even made the call, you may notice something happening in you.
00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:04.150
Maybe your mind starts racing.
00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:05.060
What happened?
00:01:05.109 --> 00:01:06.370
Did I do something wrong?
00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:07.739
Is someone in trouble?
00:01:07.939 --> 00:01:09.599
What am I gonna have to deal with?
00:01:10.379 --> 00:01:12.829
Or maybe you have the opposite reaction.
00:01:13.329 --> 00:01:20.159
You look at the message and think,"I cannot deal with one more thing today." You put the phone down.
00:01:20.340 --> 00:01:21.750
You don't even want to know.
00:01:22.390 --> 00:01:26.629
Same kind of message, two very different nervous system responses.
00:01:27.260 --> 00:01:37.620
Because your nervous system is constantly taking in what's happening around you and inside you and adjusting your energy and alertness to help you respond.
00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:50.790
On Monday, we talked about why that happens, and I introduced you to the window of tolerance, a mental wellness tool that you can use to notice what's happening in your nervous system.
00:01:51.650 --> 00:01:54.730
Today, I wanna take that one step further.
00:01:55.420 --> 00:02:21.780
In this episode, you'll discover how to notice when anxiety, stress, or overwhelm is beginning to affect how you think, feel, and respond, how to tell whether you're becoming more activated or starting to shut down, and why the difference matters, and how to respond to what your nervous system needs so you can regain enough capacity to choose what to do next.
00:02:22.770 --> 00:02:37.860
Remember, your window of tolerance is that middle space where you have enough emotional, mental, and physical capacity to see what's happening clearly, feel what you're feeling, and choose how you want to respond.
00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:46.009
When you move above that window, you become more activated, anxious, agitated, urgent, or overwhelmed.
00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:59.939
When you move below it, you become foggy, tired, disconnected, or shut down, and neither place is optimal when it comes to thinking clearly and deciding what you want to do next.
00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:06.629
And what helps you move back toward your window depends in part on which direction you moved.
00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:09.719
So let's go back to the message on your phone.
00:03:10.210 --> 00:03:15.620
Before you respond, the first thing to do is notice what's happening in you.
00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:22.449
And notice sounds simple, but there's something really important happening when you do it.
00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:25.150
You're slowing things down.
00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:28.430
Your nervous system is designed to react.
00:03:28.789 --> 00:03:30.219
That's part of its job.
00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:35.969
You see the message, your body takes in that information, and something begins to happen.
00:03:36.490 --> 00:03:44.500
Maybe your heart starts beating faster, your thoughts start racing, you feel anxious or urgent, and you wanna make that call immediately.
00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.030
Or maybe your energy drops.
00:03:47.330 --> 00:04:02.469
You feel tired or foggy, and you think,"I can't deal with this right now." If you don't slow things down enough to notice, It's very easy to simply follow that first reaction, and here's the important part.
00:04:03.009 --> 00:04:10.050
That first reaction may not be what your body actually needs to move back toward your window of tolerance.
00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:14.719
So ask yourself,"What's happening in me right now?
00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:21.149
Am I moving up or am I moving down?" So let's start with moving up.
00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:24.519
Clinically, we call this hyperarousal.
00:04:24.870 --> 00:04:27.139
You know, you become a bit hyper.
00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:29.180
Your thoughts may speed up.
00:04:29.410 --> 00:04:33.129
You may feel more anxious, agitated, irritated, or urgent.
00:04:33.550 --> 00:04:37.579
You may feel an almost immediate need to do something.
00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:39.699
Go back to that message.
00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:41.980
You may want to make the call immediately.
00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:43.709
You want to know what's wrong.
00:04:43.779 --> 00:04:46.089
You want to get rid of the uncertainty.
00:04:46.829 --> 00:04:59.050
Ask yourself,"Do I have so much activation right now that I'm trying to respond just to get rid of my discomfort?" Because that's often what the urgency of hyperarousal does.
00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:07.639
Make the call, send the text, ask the questions, give the advice, fix the problem, anything that gives you some relief right now.
00:05:08.269 --> 00:05:19.060
But relief in the moment isn't always the same as responding in a way that's aligned with who you are, what you value, and how you want to show up.
00:05:19.790 --> 00:05:32.298
So if you notice you're moving up, slow things down You might wanna walk around for a minute or two while slowing your breathing and noticing your feet making contact with the floor.
00:05:32.899 --> 00:05:38.538
Feel your heel come down, feel your foot on the floor, notice your next step.
00:05:39.119 --> 00:05:48.149
You're giving your mind something concrete to pay attention to while you're giving your body a chance to bring some of that activation down.
00:05:48.918 --> 00:05:54.619
You're not doing this because the message doesn't matter or because you're trying to make your anxiety disappear.
00:05:55.249 --> 00:06:09.149
You're bringing the activation down enough to give yourself more capacity to think clearly and make a choice you'll still agree with tomorrow, not just a choice that gives you relief in the moment.
00:06:10.098 --> 00:06:12.149
Then you can look at that message again.
00:06:12.858 --> 00:06:14.538
Am I ready to make the call?
00:06:15.139 --> 00:06:16.108
Maybe you are.
00:06:16.619 --> 00:06:18.939
Maybe you realize you need five more minutes.
00:06:19.418 --> 00:06:22.678
Either way, something important has changed.
00:06:23.158 --> 00:06:29.778
You're choosing what to do next instead of simply reacting to what you're feeling right now.
00:06:30.778 --> 00:06:33.238
Now, let's look at the other direction.
00:06:33.928 --> 00:06:41.009
Sometimes your nervous system responds to too much not by speeding you up, but by pulling your energy down.
00:06:41.689 --> 00:06:49.259
Clinically, we call this hypoarousal, or as one of my clients calls it, hippoarousal.
00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:54.509
Your energy and alertness drop, and you're just kind of there like a hippo.
00:06:55.428 --> 00:06:59.468
You may feel tired, foggy, numb, or disconnected.
00:06:59.848 --> 00:07:01.778
You may have trouble thinking clearly.
00:07:02.119 --> 00:07:13.189
You might look at that message and think,"I just can't deal right now." You put the phone down, maybe you start scrolling, turn on the television, or find something else to do.
00:07:13.848 --> 00:07:18.509
And just like with hyperarousal, the first step is to notice.
00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:20.769
Not,"What's wrong with me?
00:07:20.858 --> 00:07:25.858
Why can't I just deal with this?" But to move from judgment to curiosity.
00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:28.418
What's happening in me right now?
00:07:29.048 --> 00:07:33.278
Because if you're moving down, more calming may not be what you need.
00:07:33.769 --> 00:07:38.668
You may need to gently bring some energy and connection back into your system.
00:07:39.358 --> 00:07:41.019
So move.
00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:42.699
Stand up.
00:07:42.788 --> 00:07:43.959
Walk around the room.
00:07:44.249 --> 00:07:46.309
Step outside for a few minutes.
00:07:46.668 --> 00:07:47.468
Stretch.
00:07:47.738 --> 00:07:49.329
You don't need a workout.
00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:54.629
You're simply getting your body moving to get some of your energy flowing again.
00:07:55.408 --> 00:07:59.509
And as you move, use your senses to reconnect with what's around you.
00:07:59.968 --> 00:08:02.399
Look around and name a few things you see.
00:08:02.858 --> 00:08:04.249
Notice what you hear.
00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:12.559
Rub your hands together and feel them making contact, or notice the temperature of the air on your skin.
00:08:13.249 --> 00:08:16.658
And feel free to talk your way back into connection.
00:08:17.358 --> 00:08:18.699
"I see that tree.
00:08:18.889 --> 00:08:21.559
Oh, that flower is beautiful.
00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:23.629
Oh, I can hear the birds.
00:08:23.968 --> 00:08:35.599
It's cooler out here than I thought." I know it might sound a little silly, but you're deliberately bringing your attention back to what's happening here right now.
00:08:36.239 --> 00:08:39.899
And sometimes what you need is connection with another person.
00:08:40.489 --> 00:08:43.438
Walk into the other room and talk to your spouse.
00:08:43.849 --> 00:08:44.879
Call a friend.
00:08:45.099 --> 00:08:46.749
Say hello to a coworker.
00:08:47.019 --> 00:08:49.839
You don't necessarily have to talk about the problem.
00:08:50.249 --> 00:08:56.698
Sometimes simply connecting with another person helps you come out of that disconnected place.
00:08:57.278 --> 00:09:01.528
Again, you're not trying to force yourself to snap out of it.
00:09:01.958 --> 00:09:14.119
You're gently bringing enough energy, awareness, and connection back into your system so you have more capacity to think clearly and choose what to do next.
00:09:14.764 --> 00:09:17.083
Then you can come back to the message.
00:09:17.769 --> 00:09:19.690
Are you ready to make the call?
00:09:19.889 --> 00:09:25.820
Maybe you are, or maybe you realize,"I'm too depleted to have this conversation well right now.
00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:33.960
I'm going to text and say I'll call in an hour." That's the difference between a reaction and a choice.
00:09:34.662 --> 00:09:38.272
So how do you know when you're ready to go back to the problem?
00:09:38.782 --> 00:09:41.942
You don't have to wait until you feel completely calm.
00:09:42.331 --> 00:09:45.172
Remember, you're not trying to be a Buddhist monk.
00:09:45.511 --> 00:09:50.101
You're looking for enough capacity to think clearly and have a choice.
00:09:50.682 --> 00:09:54.322
Can you read it without immediately jumping to the worst-case scenario?
00:09:54.751 --> 00:09:59.662
Can you make the call without needing the other person to make your anxiety go away?
00:10:00.282 --> 00:10:05.662
Can you listen to what they have to say before deciding what needs to happen?
00:10:06.381 --> 00:10:16.701
Or if you've been shut down, do you have enough energy and connection to actually engage in the conversation instead of wanting to escape it?
00:10:17.591 --> 00:10:32.341
That's regulation, not the absence of anxiety or stress, but enough capacity to respond in a way that's aligned with who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to show up.
00:10:32.951 --> 00:10:37.461
And sometimes you'll regulate yourself and still be anxious.
00:10:38.101 --> 00:10:42.162
Sometimes you'll make the call and hear something you really don't want to hear.
00:10:42.731 --> 00:10:45.072
Regulation doesn't solve the problem.
00:10:45.432 --> 00:10:48.871
It gives you more capacity to deal with the problem.
00:10:49.812 --> 00:10:55.601
And one last thing, don't turn this into one more thing that you have to get right.
00:10:56.211 --> 00:11:00.072
I want to invite you to see this as a practice.
00:11:00.581 --> 00:11:03.951
This isn't something you try once and then never forget.
00:11:04.481 --> 00:11:14.610
It's something you practice again and again, the path back to more clarity and emotional regulation won't feel exactly the same every time.
00:11:15.051 --> 00:11:19.201
What helps you today will be a little different from what helps you next week.
00:11:19.730 --> 00:11:38.740
But with practice, you can get better at noticing what's happening in you, recognizing what you need, and finding your way back to a place where you have more clarity and choice, I hope you join me tomorrow for my mini episode, Creating Calm in the Wild.
00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:57.041
I'm going to tell you about something that happened recently in my own life that had my nervous system moving up and down, not just for a day, but for many weeks after, and how I realized that what helped me in one state wasn't what I needed in another.
00:11:58.150 --> 00:12:01.870
Thanks for listening to Creating Midlife Calm.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.189
In this episode, you'll discover how to regulate your nervous system when anxiety, stress, or overwhelm starts affecting how you think, feel, and respond Welcome to Creating Midlife Calm, the podcast where you and I tackle stress and anxiety in midlife so you can stop feeling like crap, feel more present at home, and thrive at work.
00:00:22.789 --> 00:00:36.225
I'm MJ Murray Vachon, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 50,000 hours of therapy sessions and three decades of teaching practical science-backed mental wellness Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:36.615 --> 00:00:38.276
Imagine it's late afternoon.
00:00:38.665 --> 00:00:41.975
You get an email from your boss that says,"Can you call me?
00:00:42.076 --> 00:00:50.316
We need to talk." Or maybe it's a text from your adult child or your aging parent with almost the same message,"Can you call me?
00:00:50.526 --> 00:00:54.140
I need to talk to you now." You don't know what's wrong yet.
00:00:54.570 --> 00:01:01.939
You just know someone important wants to talk, and before you've even made the call, you may notice something happening in you.
00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:04.150
Maybe your mind starts racing.
00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:05.060
What happened?
00:01:05.109 --> 00:01:06.370
Did I do something wrong?
00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:07.739
Is someone in trouble?
00:01:07.939 --> 00:01:09.599
What am I gonna have to deal with?
00:01:10.379 --> 00:01:12.829
Or maybe you have the opposite reaction.
00:01:13.329 --> 00:01:20.159
You look at the message and think,"I cannot deal with one more thing today." You put the phone down.
00:01:20.340 --> 00:01:21.750
You don't even want to know.
00:01:22.390 --> 00:01:26.629
Same kind of message, two very different nervous system responses.
00:01:27.260 --> 00:01:37.620
Because your nervous system is constantly taking in what's happening around you and inside you and adjusting your energy and alertness to help you respond.
00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:50.790
On Monday, we talked about why that happens, and I introduced you to the window of tolerance, a mental wellness tool that you can use to notice what's happening in your nervous system.
00:01:51.650 --> 00:01:54.730
Today, I wanna take that one step further.
00:01:55.420 --> 00:02:21.780
In this episode, you'll discover how to notice when anxiety, stress, or overwhelm is beginning to affect how you think, feel, and respond, how to tell whether you're becoming more activated or starting to shut down, and why the difference matters, and how to respond to what your nervous system needs so you can regain enough capacity to choose what to do next.
00:02:22.770 --> 00:02:37.860
Remember, your window of tolerance is that middle space where you have enough emotional, mental, and physical capacity to see what's happening clearly, feel what you're feeling, and choose how you want to respond.
00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:46.009
When you move above that window, you become more activated, anxious, agitated, urgent, or overwhelmed.
00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:59.939
When you move below it, you become foggy, tired, disconnected, or shut down, and neither place is optimal when it comes to thinking clearly and deciding what you want to do next.
00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:06.629
And what helps you move back toward your window depends in part on which direction you moved.
00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:09.719
So let's go back to the message on your phone.
00:03:10.210 --> 00:03:15.620
Before you respond, the first thing to do is notice what's happening in you.
00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:22.449
And notice sounds simple, but there's something really important happening when you do it.
00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:25.150
You're slowing things down.
00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:28.430
Your nervous system is designed to react.
00:03:28.789 --> 00:03:30.219
That's part of its job.
00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:35.969
You see the message, your body takes in that information, and something begins to happen.
00:03:36.490 --> 00:03:44.500
Maybe your heart starts beating faster, your thoughts start racing, you feel anxious or urgent, and you wanna make that call immediately.
00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.030
Or maybe your energy drops.
00:03:47.330 --> 00:04:02.469
You feel tired or foggy, and you think,"I can't deal with this right now." If you don't slow things down enough to notice, It's very easy to simply follow that first reaction, and here's the important part.
00:04:03.009 --> 00:04:10.050
That first reaction may not be what your body actually needs to move back toward your window of tolerance.
00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:14.719
So ask yourself,"What's happening in me right now?
00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:21.149
Am I moving up or am I moving down?" So let's start with moving up.
00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:24.519
Clinically, we call this hyperarousal.
00:04:24.870 --> 00:04:27.139
You know, you become a bit hyper.
00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:29.180
Your thoughts may speed up.
00:04:29.410 --> 00:04:33.129
You may feel more anxious, agitated, irritated, or urgent.
00:04:33.550 --> 00:04:37.579
You may feel an almost immediate need to do something.
00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:39.699
Go back to that message.
00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:41.980
You may want to make the call immediately.
00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:43.709
You want to know what's wrong.
00:04:43.779 --> 00:04:46.089
You want to get rid of the uncertainty.
00:04:46.829 --> 00:04:59.050
Ask yourself,"Do I have so much activation right now that I'm trying to respond just to get rid of my discomfort?" Because that's often what the urgency of hyperarousal does.
00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:07.639
Make the call, send the text, ask the questions, give the advice, fix the problem, anything that gives you some relief right now.
00:05:08.269 --> 00:05:19.060
But relief in the moment isn't always the same as responding in a way that's aligned with who you are, what you value, and how you want to show up.
00:05:19.790 --> 00:05:32.298
So if you notice you're moving up, slow things down You might wanna walk around for a minute or two while slowing your breathing and noticing your feet making contact with the floor.
00:05:32.899 --> 00:05:38.538
Feel your heel come down, feel your foot on the floor, notice your next step.
00:05:39.119 --> 00:05:48.149
You're giving your mind something concrete to pay attention to while you're giving your body a chance to bring some of that activation down.
00:05:48.918 --> 00:05:54.619
You're not doing this because the message doesn't matter or because you're trying to make your anxiety disappear.
00:05:55.249 --> 00:06:09.149
You're bringing the activation down enough to give yourself more capacity to think clearly and make a choice you'll still agree with tomorrow, not just a choice that gives you relief in the moment.
00:06:10.098 --> 00:06:12.149
Then you can look at that message again.
00:06:12.858 --> 00:06:14.538
Am I ready to make the call?
00:06:15.139 --> 00:06:16.108
Maybe you are.
00:06:16.619 --> 00:06:18.939
Maybe you realize you need five more minutes.
00:06:19.418 --> 00:06:22.678
Either way, something important has changed.
00:06:23.158 --> 00:06:29.778
You're choosing what to do next instead of simply reacting to what you're feeling right now.
00:06:30.778 --> 00:06:33.238
Now, let's look at the other direction.
00:06:33.928 --> 00:06:41.009
Sometimes your nervous system responds to too much not by speeding you up, but by pulling your energy down.
00:06:41.689 --> 00:06:49.259
Clinically, we call this hypoarousal, or as one of my clients calls it, hippoarousal.
00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:54.509
Your energy and alertness drop, and you're just kind of there like a hippo.
00:06:55.428 --> 00:06:59.468
You may feel tired, foggy, numb, or disconnected.
00:06:59.848 --> 00:07:01.778
You may have trouble thinking clearly.
00:07:02.119 --> 00:07:13.189
You might look at that message and think,"I just can't deal right now." You put the phone down, maybe you start scrolling, turn on the television, or find something else to do.
00:07:13.848 --> 00:07:18.509
And just like with hyperarousal, the first step is to notice.
00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:20.769
Not,"What's wrong with me?
00:07:20.858 --> 00:07:25.858
Why can't I just deal with this?" But to move from judgment to curiosity.
00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:28.418
What's happening in me right now?
00:07:29.048 --> 00:07:33.278
Because if you're moving down, more calming may not be what you need.
00:07:33.769 --> 00:07:38.668
You may need to gently bring some energy and connection back into your system.
00:07:39.358 --> 00:07:41.019
So move.
00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:42.699
Stand up.
00:07:42.788 --> 00:07:43.959
Walk around the room.
00:07:44.249 --> 00:07:46.309
Step outside for a few minutes.
00:07:46.668 --> 00:07:47.468
Stretch.
00:07:47.738 --> 00:07:49.329
You don't need a workout.
00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:54.629
You're simply getting your body moving to get some of your energy flowing again.
00:07:55.408 --> 00:07:59.509
And as you move, use your senses to reconnect with what's around you.
00:07:59.968 --> 00:08:02.399
Look around and name a few things you see.
00:08:02.858 --> 00:08:04.249
Notice what you hear.
00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:12.559
Rub your hands together and feel them making contact, or notice the temperature of the air on your skin.
00:08:13.249 --> 00:08:16.658
And feel free to talk your way back into connection.
00:08:17.358 --> 00:08:18.699
"I see that tree.
00:08:18.889 --> 00:08:21.559
Oh, that flower is beautiful.
00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:23.629
Oh, I can hear the birds.
00:08:23.968 --> 00:08:35.599
It's cooler out here than I thought." I know it might sound a little silly, but you're deliberately bringing your attention back to what's happening here right now.
00:08:36.239 --> 00:08:39.899
And sometimes what you need is connection with another person.
00:08:40.489 --> 00:08:43.438
Walk into the other room and talk to your spouse.
00:08:43.849 --> 00:08:44.879
Call a friend.
00:08:45.099 --> 00:08:46.749
Say hello to a coworker.
00:08:47.019 --> 00:08:49.839
You don't necessarily have to talk about the problem.
00:08:50.249 --> 00:08:56.698
Sometimes simply connecting with another person helps you come out of that disconnected place.
00:08:57.278 --> 00:09:01.528
Again, you're not trying to force yourself to snap out of it.
00:09:01.958 --> 00:09:14.119
You're gently bringing enough energy, awareness, and connection back into your system so you have more capacity to think clearly and choose what to do next.
00:09:14.764 --> 00:09:17.083
Then you can come back to the message.
00:09:17.769 --> 00:09:19.690
Are you ready to make the call?
00:09:19.889 --> 00:09:25.820
Maybe you are, or maybe you realize,"I'm too depleted to have this conversation well right now.
00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:33.960
I'm going to text and say I'll call in an hour." That's the difference between a reaction and a choice.
00:09:34.662 --> 00:09:38.272
So how do you know when you're ready to go back to the problem?
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You don't have to wait until you feel completely calm.
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Remember, you're not trying to be a Buddhist monk.
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You're looking for enough capacity to think clearly and have a choice.
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Can you read it without immediately jumping to the worst-case scenario?
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Can you make the call without needing the other person to make your anxiety go away?
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Can you listen to what they have to say before deciding what needs to happen?
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Or if you've been shut down, do you have enough energy and connection to actually engage in the conversation instead of wanting to escape it?
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That's regulation, not the absence of anxiety or stress, but enough capacity to respond in a way that's aligned with who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to show up.
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And sometimes you'll regulate yourself and still be anxious.
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Sometimes you'll make the call and hear something you really don't want to hear.
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Regulation doesn't solve the problem.
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It gives you more capacity to deal with the problem.
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And one last thing, don't turn this into one more thing that you have to get right.
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I want to invite you to see this as a practice.
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This isn't something you try once and then never forget.
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It's something you practice again and again, the path back to more clarity and emotional regulation won't feel exactly the same every time.
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What helps you today will be a little different from what helps you next week.
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But with practice, you can get better at noticing what's happening in you, recognizing what you need, and finding your way back to a place where you have more clarity and choice, I hope you join me tomorrow for my mini episode, Creating Calm in the Wild.
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I'm going to tell you about something that happened recently in my own life that had my nervous system moving up and down, not just for a day, but for many weeks after, and how I realized that what helped me in one state wasn't what I needed in another.
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Thanks for listening to Creating Midlife Calm.
