#nervous-system-regulation

#nervous-system-regulation

You're lying in bed, staring into the darkness, and suddenly an urgent work email pops into your head, unbidden. Or maybe it's that shampoo you forgot to add to your shopping list, or the need to fill up your gas tank in the morning. Your lower back is twinging and your shoulders are tensing in response to your thoughts of all the things you need to do, or already did, or didn't do. It's a pretty universal experience.

Lying on my back with my legs splayed out in butterfly position, I slowly bring my knees towards each other, inch by inch. At about 45 degrees my thighs start to shake. Just muscle fatigue, I tell myself. Then the shaking shifts, snaking into my abdomen where it pulses like a second heart beat. I feel queasy and, out of nowhere, tears slide down my face.

We get increased heart rates, and then the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline get released, and they flood our bodies. This causes physical symptoms, such as headaches or issues with the digestive system, and then there is the emotional aspect: You might notice that you're feeling irritable, anxious, you've got low mood, lack of motivation: these are key signs that you are under a lot of stress.

First up is reassurance. It can help to think about a situation, or maybe more than one, that you struggled with in the past, something that felt endless, yet you found ways to move through it. Even if sleep challenges have been with you for a long time, new layers of healing and understanding are always possible. This might be a chapter that's asking for patience and new tools, but you can learn to support yourself through it and find resources that help.

High performance isn't about doing more - it's about clearing what blocks you. The real question is: How do you become the kind of leader whose presence alone sparks calm, trust and collaboration?