New Year... New You

As the new year begins, many of us set goals around physical health, exercise, and nutrition. These are important steps toward overall well-being and excellent intentions for the year ahead. I encourage my clients to stay active year-round, even during the colder winter months. Regular movement keeps energy flowing, supports mental clarity, and helps maintain physical strength. Pairing this with warming, grounding whole foods such as root vegetables, hearty soups, and seasonal produce can support your body’s nutritional needs and keep you feeling nourished throughout winter.

Equally important is addressing the emotional and mental aspects of health. Stress, anxiety, and low motivation can make staying active and eating well more challenging. By supporting your mental well-being—through practices like mindfulness, journaling, or gentle nervous system exercises—you create a stronger foundation for physical health.
Nutrition can also play a role here, with certain foods helping to stabilize mood and support brain health. A truly sustainable “New Year, New You” approach combines movement, nutrition, and mental and emotional self-care, giving your body and mind the support they need to thrive all year long.

Did you know that there are simple easy things you can do help reset your nervous system or calm down an anxious and overactive brain, soothe emotional upsets without having to use prescriptive drugs or aids?

Calm Your Nervous System: Simple Neuroscience Techniques to Ease Anxiety

Anxiety can feel overwhelming. Your heart races, thoughts spiral, and your body feels constantly “on.” The good news? Modern neuroscience offers simple, practical ways to calm the nervous system and quiet an anxious mind, without medication or complex routines. Here are some techniques you can start using today.

1. Make Positive Notes for the Tough Times
When you’re feeling good, take a moment to jot down a few things that feel positive: a compliment you received, a joyful moment, or simply a sense of calm. When anxiety strikes, these notes act like a mental “anchor,” reminding your brain that positive states are possible. This simple habit taps into the brain’s ability to strengthen neural pathways for positive emotions.

2. Self-Soothe Through Your Chest and Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is a key player in regulating your nervous system. When you’re feeling geared up or anxious, try placing your hand over your chest, take slow, deep breaths, and focus on softening this area. Gentle pressure and mindful breathing can signal your body that it’s safe, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode).

Additional Vagus Nerve Exercises:

- Eye Movements: Slowly look far to the right, then left, then up, then down. This stretches the muscles connected to the vagus nerve, helping reduce tension and regulate the nervous system.
- Gentle Neck Stretches: Tilt your head slowly from side to side or gently roll your shoulders backward to stimulate the nerve and release tension.
- Humming or Singing: The vibrations from humming or singing stimulate the vagus nerve through the vocal cords, helping calm the mind.

3. Use a “Value Word” to Interrupt Anxiety
Repeating a calming word—like LOVE, PEACE, or CALM—can interrupt racing thoughts and reset your nervous system. Neuroscience shows that focusing attention on a single word engages the prefrontal cortex, helping regulate emotional responses. Try saying your word out loud or silently whenever you notice tension rising.

4. Stretch, Yawn, and Reset Your Mind
Yawning isn’t just a sign of tiredness—it’s a brain reset. Yawning helps regulate brain temperature, increases cerebral spinal fluid, and can interrupt repetitive anxious thoughts. If you’re tense, try:
1. Imagining a yawn (think YAWN in capital letters!)
2. Opening your mouth slightly and smiling—the yawn often follows naturally
3. Allowing lots of yawns—this can even trigger tears, helping release tension and stimulate cerebral spinal fluid

This simple movement can shift your nervous system out of a stress state and into a more relaxed, alert state.

5. Language Matters: Invite, Don’t Tell
The words you use—both with yourself and others—can shape nervous system responses. Framing suggestions as an invitation (“Would you like to hear a tip for calming down?”) rather than a command (“You need to breathe and relax”) engages the brain differently, reducing resistance and opening pathways for cooperation and learning. Even small changes in language can subtly reduce anxiety in yourself and others.

​Bringing It All Together

Your nervous system and mind respond to gentle, intentional signals. Positive notes, vagus nerve self-soothing exercises, value words, yawning and stretching, and mindful language aren’t just “nice ideas”, they’re grounded in neuroscience and can actually change your nervous system response which then in turn, changes your physiological response. With regular practice, these simple techniques help you interrupt anxious patterns, regulate your nervous system, and move toward a calmer, clearer state of mind.

Wishing you much mental, emotional, nutritional and physical health success in this new year! Book me for a discovery call if you are looking for support and a healthier renewed you!

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