Nervous System Reset

Simple Tools for When You’re Maxed Out

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Let’s talk about your nervous system.

If you’re a parent—especially in the thick of postpartum or the early parenting years—your nervous system is likely on high alert more often than not. The crying, the constant needs, the mess, the noise (oh, the noise). Even moments of joy can feel overstimulating when you haven’t had a second to breathe.

And here's the thing: you're not broken. You're responding to life in a body that's trying to survive. But you deserve to do more than survive. You deserve to reset.

This is your gentle reminder that it’s okay to need quiet, to crave stillness, to take space. You’re not weak. You’re human.

What Does a Nervous System Reset Even Mean?

Your nervous system governs your stress response—think fight, flight, freeze. A reset doesn’t mean you flip a switch and become zen. It’s more like slowly loosening a rubber band that’s been stretched too tightly for too long. You’re offering your body micro-moments of safety, presence, and relief.

5 Simple Ways to Reset Your Nervous System

Here are a few gentle, accessible practices I come back to—especially when the day has felt like too much.

1. Sound Soothing: Protect Your Ears, Protect Your Energy

When everything feels loud, it’s often not just the noise—it’s what the noise represents: unpredictability, demands, overstimulation.
One of my favorite tools? Loop earplugs
They’re noise-reducing, not noise-canceling, so you can still hear your child calling for you—but the edges are softened. I wear them when I’m making dinner, in loud public spaces, or on those days when my fuse feels especially short. They’ve been a game-changer.

2. Cold Water Reset

Splash your face with cool water or run your hands under cold water for 30 seconds. This activates the vagus nerve and can interrupt a spiraling stress response. Bonus if you breathe out slowly while doing it.

3. Slow Movement or Gentle Rocking

If lying down feels impossible, try swaying side to side while standing or sitting—like you would with a fussy baby. That motion is grounding. You’re telling your body, “I’m here. We’re okay.”

4. Anchor Into One Sense

Choose one: touch, sight, sound, taste, or smell. Let yourself experience it fully.
• Feel the texture of your shirt.
• Name five things you can see.
• Light a candle and take in the scent.
This helps bring you back to the present moment instead of getting swept away by the overwhelm.

5. The 4-7-8 Breath

Inhale for 4. Hold for 7. Exhale slowly for 8.
Even two or three rounds of this can signal safety to your body. It’s a portable, free, and powerful reset tool.

A Loving Reminder

You don’t need to earn regulation by getting everything on your to-do list done. You deserve it simply because you are human. Because parenting is hard. Because your body is doing so much, and it needs support too.

If you’ve been feeling maxed out, overstimulated, or numb—this post is your permission slip to take five minutes. To breathe. To reset.

You are not alone.