04/14/2026
When I worked in theater, it was always ‘work until you drop’, and ‘all clocks count down to opening night’ - sometimes the paint would still be wet on the set when actors took the stage. It took me years to break the cycle of running on adrenaline, but these exercises will help you make the switch, fast.
Simple physical activities help you complete the stress cycle, and then tell your body that you are safe.
1: Shaking, bouncing, getting grounded in your body. The energy you use gives stress somewhere to go, and metabolizes the stress hormones flowing in your system. Also helps get you out of your head and back in your body so you focus on what you want, instead of anxiety or worry.
2: Give yourself a hug! It simulates the vagus nerve and boosts oxytocin, for more resilience and less inflammation
3: Scanning with your eyes. Best option, get outside for a walk! But if you’re stuck inside, take a few moments to scan your eyes side to side, the same way you would take in the landscape as you walk. When you’re calmly scanning your environment, your body receives the signal that there is no threat and you come back to parasympathetic balance
4: Exhale like you’re cooling a cup of tea or a bowl of hot soup. Longer exhales change the pressure in your chest, and as your breathing slows, so does your heart rate! Feel more calm with every breath.
5: Step into the bathroom and rinse your face with cold water. Cold against your face and neck activates the mammalian diving reflex, immediately telling your body to slow your heart rate and breathing as if you would be swimming underwater. This vagus nerve activation calms stress fast.
Did you yawn or sigh? Then it worked!
Use these often to train your body how to break the cycle of chronic stress and boost your resilience.
Which ONE are you going to try first?
