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Ep. 76 - Understanding Your Nervous System: How to Shift from "Fight or Flight" to "Rest and Digest"
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Stress doesn’t always look like danger, but your body treats it that way. We break down how the nervous system flips into fight, flight, or freeze at the sight of a bill, an email, or the news—and how to guide it back to rest and digest with fast, practical tools you can use anywhere. As a licensed therapist and self-care advocate, I connect the dots between brain chemistry, body signals, and the real-life moments that leave you wired yet exhausted, then teach you how to build resilience from the inside out.
You’ll learn why the brain can’t easily distinguish real threats from perceived ones, what chronic sympathetic activation does to your digestion, sleep, and focus, and how the parasympathetic system restores clarity and connection. We dive into the vagus nerve—your body’s wandering superhighway—and why 80% of its communication flows from body to brain. That’s the secret: change your physiology and your mind will follow. I share my own experience with spiraling after small mistakes and how simple practices shortened those stress cycles.
Expect step-by-step guidance on vagus nerve activation you can try today: humming or singing to create calming throat vibrations, targeted stretches that release the “brace for impact” posture, and an ear massage that taps auricular vagal branches. Then we move through breathing techniques that put the brakes on a racing heart—coherent breathing at five seconds in and out, box breathing for focus, and a gentle practice of noticing your breath to shift control back to your thinking brain. Use these tools before a tough meeting, after heavy news, or anytime you feel your chest tighten and your thoughts race.
If this helped, subscribe for weekly strategies that support emotional healing, nervous system health, and sustainable self-care. Share this episode with someone who needs a reset today, and leave a quick review so more women can find these tools. Your exhale is the remote control—ready to press play on calm?
90-day Self-Growth Journal - A great companion you can use on your healing journey. For 90 days you will have daily prompts on the topics of self-love, self-care and gratitude. This journal is great for beginners, novice and anyone that wants to dive deeper into their true selves. https://amzn.to/4fk14sq
Ready to nurture your mind, body, and spirit? Get our FREE Self-Care Challenge
Visit Our Website - The show now has a website and blog!! Come visit and read more!
Sign Up for Our Weekly Newsletter - Come subscribe to my newsletter to receive tips, BTS previews and additional resources to guide you on your healing journey.
Follow me on IG @shecanhealpodcast for upcoming episodes and more inspiration.
Come be a guest on the podcast: - I am looking for guests to come on the show and share their stories. If you have a self-care practice, tool or resource that has helped you on your healing journey, please fill out the application to apply.
I want to hear your thoughts on the show:
Reviews help my show so much, please leave a review on your favorite platform.
Subscribe to the show
You'll be notified when a new episode is available, so you never miss an episode.
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By Keila Aldea, LCSWSend a text
Stress doesn’t always look like danger, but your body treats it that way. We break down how the nervous system flips into fight, flight, or freeze at the sight of a bill, an email, or the news—and how to guide it back to rest and digest with fast, practical tools you can use anywhere. As a licensed therapist and self-care advocate, I connect the dots between brain chemistry, body signals, and the real-life moments that leave you wired yet exhausted, then teach you how to build resilience from the inside out.
You’ll learn why the brain can’t easily distinguish real threats from perceived ones, what chronic sympathetic activation does to your digestion, sleep, and focus, and how the parasympathetic system restores clarity and connection. We dive into the vagus nerve—your body’s wandering superhighway—and why 80% of its communication flows from body to brain. That’s the secret: change your physiology and your mind will follow. I share my own experience with spiraling after small mistakes and how simple practices shortened those stress cycles.
Expect step-by-step guidance on vagus nerve activation you can try today: humming or singing to create calming throat vibrations, targeted stretches that release the “brace for impact” posture, and an ear massage that taps auricular vagal branches. Then we move through breathing techniques that put the brakes on a racing heart—coherent breathing at five seconds in and out, box breathing for focus, and a gentle practice of noticing your breath to shift control back to your thinking brain. Use these tools before a tough meeting, after heavy news, or anytime you feel your chest tighten and your thoughts race.
If this helped, subscribe for weekly strategies that support emotional healing, nervous system health, and sustainable self-care. Share this episode with someone who needs a reset today, and leave a quick review so more women can find these tools. Your exhale is the remote control—ready to press play on calm?
90-day Self-Growth Journal - A great companion you can use on your healing journey. For 90 days you will have daily prompts on the topics of self-love, self-care and gratitude. This journal is great for beginners, novice and anyone that wants to dive deeper into their true selves. https://amzn.to/4fk14sq
Ready to nurture your mind, body, and spirit? Get our FREE Self-Care Challenge
Visit Our Website - The show now has a website and blog!! Come visit and read more!
Sign Up for Our Weekly Newsletter - Come subscribe to my newsletter to receive tips, BTS previews and additional resources to guide you on your healing journey.
Follow me on IG @shecanhealpodcast for upcoming episodes and more inspiration.
Come be a guest on the podcast: - I am looking for guests to come on the show and share their stories. If you have a self-care practice, tool or resource that has helped you on your healing journey, please fill out the application to apply.
I want to hear your thoughts on the show:
Reviews help my show so much, please leave a review on your favorite platform.
Subscribe to the show
You'll be notified when a new episode is available, so you never miss an episode.