To wrap up our series on nervous system states, we move from theory to real life. This special episode features a powerful voice message from a listener named Brit, who shares a personal story of navigating a stressful travel day with her family. Her experience perfectly illustrates what it looks like when nervous system concepts become a lived reality. If you've ever wondered how this work actually unfolds over time, this episode offers a hopeful and practical look at the messy, imperfect, and beautiful journey of healing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why nervous system healing is a gradual, layered process that takes time to integrate.
• What it looks like to move from intellectually understanding the tools to intuitively applying them in a stressful moment.
• How regulating your own nervous system positively impacts your family and relationships.
• Why the goal isn't to eliminate stress or never get activated, but to build flexibility and choice in how you respond.
• Key insights from the entire series to support you on your ongoing journey.

3 Takeaways:

1. Trust your own experience & be patient with the timeline.
2. Start where you are & remember that setbacks are part of the process.
3. The goal is flexibility and choice, not elimination of difficult experiences.

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Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
• Join me inside Regulated Living, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: amanda@riseaswe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

In this episode of our series on nervous system states, we explore the ultimate goal: more regulation. Amanda breaks down the physiology and psychology of this "green zone" state and provides a rich toolkit for moving to make it your new normal as she compassionately discusses understanding what regulation truly is, why your system might resist it, and how to proactively create more moments of it.

*This episode serves as Part 5 in our "Different States Series"

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What regulation feels like in your body and how it improves your overall health.
• Why your nervous system might resist feeling calm, and how to gently work with that fear.
• A toolkit of simple, proactive practices to help you cultivate more safety and ease in your daily life.
• Why the true goal isn’t constant calm, but the flexibility to return to your regulated "home base" after stress.

3 Takeaways:

1. Regulation is a state of internal safety, not just the absence of stress. It’s about presence, flexibility, and connection—not perfection or perpetual calm.
2. You may have to learn how to stay in regulation. Especially if calm feels unfamiliar, savoring these moments is a skill you can practice. Regulation is a practice, not a destination.
3. You don’t heal just by surviving less—you heal by living more. Regulation allows space for the joy, rest, creativity, intimacy, and meaning that make life rich.

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Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
• Join me inside Regulated Living, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: amanda@riseaswe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Shut down is your nervous system's most protective response. If you've ever felt heavy, numb, and completely disconnected from life—like you're moving through a thick fog with no energy or motivation—you've likely experienced a nervous system state called "shutdown." This episode offers a deeply compassionate guide to understanding this protective state and provides a roadmap of gentle, micro-steps to help you slowly and safely reconnect with yourself and the world.

*This episode serves as Part 4 in our "Different States Series"

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why shutdown happens, from chronic burnout and overwhelm to unresolved grief and past trauma.
• How to understand shutdown from a "parts work" perspective, seeing it as a protector trying to keep you from feeling more pain.
• A toolkit of gentle, sensory-based practices to slowly reawaken your system without causing more stress.
• Why patience is one of the most crucial tools when working with this state.

3 Takeaways:

1. Shutdown is protection, not pathology.
2. Gentle presence is more powerful than forced productivity. In shutdown, your system needs safety and patience, not more pressure.
3. Address the overwhelm, not just the symptoms. If shutdown is a pattern, it's often telling you something important about your life circumstances, past experiences, or internal dynamics.

Tools/Resources for shut down:

• Gentle Sensation & Warmth: Hold a warm mug of tea or a heating pad, wrap yourself in a soft blanket, feel the texture of a piece of fabric, feel your feet on the floor.
• Gentle Breath & Sound: Make soft humming sounds or quiet "ahh" or "ohh" sounds that you can feel vibrating in your chest, listen to slow and comforting music or nature sounds.
• Orienting & Vision Resets: Slowly look around the room, gently turn your head from side to side, let your gaze soften and rest on something neutral or comforting.
• Micro-Movement: Wiggle your fingers and toes, gently roll your shoulders or circle your wrists, sway slowly while seated, stand near a window for a moment.
• Symbolic or Actual Connection: Text a safe person (no conversation needed), pet an animal or tend to a plant, look at a photo of someone you love, watch a familiar and comforting show.
• Voice & Self-Talk: Whisper comforting phrases to yourself like, "I'm right here," or "It's okay to rest," or "You matter to me."
• Parts Work: Get curious about the part of you that has gone offline. Offer it compassion and reassurance without pressure, saying things like, "Thank you for protecting me from pain. Right now, it's safe to feel just a little bit."

—

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
• Join me inside Regulated Living, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: amanda@riseaswe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise