Go outside

How do you reset your nervous system?

I had a pretty awful morning today.

I’m catching up on sleep after binge-reading until 3am the other night, I skipped my morning workout, and had back-to-back-to-back meetings (not ideal in any case) that made me feel big, angry feelings.

It’s not important what happened in those meetings – mostly because I don’t want to relive them by telling you – but after those few back-to-back hours, my stomach was in anxious knots. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t think straight. I had (still have) an outrageous to-do list and have 1000% overbooked myself for the rest of the week – all while I’ll be solo parenting until Saturday.

My afternoon was carefully planned so I could diligently check things off the list in preparation for the rest of the week. Instead, my brain and body went haywire!

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I read somewhere that when a toddler is having a meltdown, it can almost always be resolved by snacks or fresh air.

I am learning many things as a parent – I knew I would! However, I did not expect how much parenting knowledge would be useful in parenting… myself.

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What was happening inside my body this afternoon was a toddler meltdown.

I was dizzy with anxiety and on the verge of tears, so instead of deliriously staring at my computer screen, I put on my jacket and walked to the park. After only 20 minutes, I felt lighter, and my mind was eagerly firing on most of its cylinders again. Before even getting home, I pulled out my phone to make notes of all the ideas I was having for projects I wanted to tackle.

I got home and was eager to dive into my to-do list – and even had a smile on my face.

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You know how when something electronic isn’t working right, you turn it off and turn it back on again? Or you blow on the plug before plugging it back in? That’s what our nervous systems – our bodies and brains– need sometimes! More often than we think.

There are so many times when I get sucked into a task or my computer screen, only to realize that I am not mentally there. I need a reset. The best ways for me to reset are:

• go outside

• take a walk (inside or out!)

• stretching

• deep breathing

All of those tools can be adapted to various locations and time frames when I need them – I just have to remember I have my toolbox with me.

What about you? How do you reset your nervous system when your insides are having a toddler meltdown?

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