Quick + Random Ways to Reset Your Nervous System (Hot-Mess-Mom Approved)

Okay, mama. Let’s get real. Some days your nervous system feels like a toddler on a sugar high—bouncing off walls, demanding snacks, and crying because the blue cup isn’t the right shade of blue. And yet, somehow, you’re expected to function like a calm, centered goddess. Spoiler: you can’t always meditate for 45 minutes in a candlelit room. (If you can, teach me your ways.) But you can sprinkle tiny nervous system resets throughout your day—micro moments of calm that tell your body, “Hey girl, we’re safe. Breathe.”

Here are a few of my favorite random, slightly ridiculous, totally effective ways to calm that beautiful chaos inside you.

🧊 1. Ice-cube-to-the-rescue

Grab an ice cube and hold it in your hand for 30 seconds. Feel the cold. Focus on it. It’s like a quick slap to your stress—your brain instantly shifts gears from “I’m spiraling” to “Whoa, this is cold.” That’s your nervous system coming back online, baby.

🌬️ 2. The five-second exhale

Forget fancy breathwork. Just exhale longer than you inhale. Seriously. Inhale 4, exhale 6. This tells your vagus nerve (the chill boss of your nervous system) that you’re safe. You can do it while folding laundry, driving, or mid-meltdown while your kid smears peanut butter on the dog.

💃 3. Shake it out

Literally. Put on one song—bonus points if it’s from your high school era—and shake your arms, legs, booty, whatever. Animals do this after stress to reset their systems, and it works for humans too. It looks ridiculous. It feels amazing.

🌳 4. Touch grass (or something real)

No metaphor here. Step outside, barefoot if you can, and let your feet touch the earth. Or lean against a tree. Or even just open a window and take one deep breath of actual air that hasn’t been recycled through your HVAC. Nature grounds you. Science says so.

☀️ 5. The 10-second sunlight hit

Step outside, face the sun, close your eyes, and breathe for ten seconds. That light cues your body to chill out, boosts serotonin, and reminds your brain you’re a living being, not just a laundry machine in yoga pants.

💗 6. Hand-on-heart moment

Pause. Place your hand on your heart and say something kind—out loud if you can. “You’re doing your best.” “We’re okay.” “The chaos doesn’t mean you’re failing.” Your body believes your voice more than your thoughts.

You don’t have to overhaul your life to feel calmer. You just need these random little resets, scattered like confetti through your day. They may not look like “self-care,” but they work. Because sometimes peace doesn’t show up in silence—it shows up between the dishes, the deadlines, and the diaper changes.

✨ Calm is possible, even in the chaos. You’ve got this, hot-mess hero. 🩵