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danieltyack posted an update
3 days ago (edited)
It only takes 90 seconds to regulate your nervous system.
Seriously. You can go from absolute inner chaos to a state of calm in under two minutes. It might seem impossible in the moment, but just try it, you’ll feel the relief.
The first and most important step? Do not buy into the thoughts and fears. All those stories running through your mind, the ones creating that anxious, dysregulated state? Don’t validate them. They’re just passing waves, not absolute truths. Let them exist without letting them take over.
Instead of getting caught up in the mental spiral, try this: Just be with it. Like sitting through a little discomfort, without letting it consume you.
Now, breathe. Deep, full inhale. Slow, full exhale. Again.
Shift your focus to the present. What do you notice?
• What’s the temperature like?
• How do your feet feel against the ground?
• Is there a breeze?
• What do your clothes feel like against your skin?
Let yourself fully be in the moment. No outside worries. No spiraling thoughts. Just feeling.
As the seconds pass, the intensity of the emotions will fade. That’s your nervous system regulating itself. After about 90 seconds, you’ll find yourself in a clearer, calmer state.
Here’s why this works: When your nervous system gets triggered, your prefrontal cortex, the logical, thinking part of your brain, shuts down. The amygdala takes over, flooding you with fear, pushing you into old reaction patterns. You literally become an animal, operating from survival mode.
But when you step back, breathe, and ground yourself, you take back control. Your prefrontal cortex re-engages, and suddenly, you can think clearly again.
You don’t have to be ruled by disruptive emotions. You just have to give it about 90 seconds.
Try it. See what happens.
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