I'm so overwhelmed. I can't do this anymore.

I used to say this to myself all the time. It still creeps in sometimes. Though these days I'm better equipped to handle it and don't fall into a pile of paralyzed mess.

Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed? Even though you maybe haven’t done that much? That sensation—that wired-but-tired, can’t-think-straight fog, I have so much to do but can't seem to move my feet—isn’t in your head. It’s in your nervous system.

I know. This is a buzz term these days. But I tell you what, "If I knew then what I know now" ... you know how it goes.

So here's a highlevel review.

Overwhelm is often a sign that your nervous system is dysregulated—stuck in a survival response like fight, flight, or freeze. This happens when your brain perceives that there’s too much coming at you, too fast, with no time to process. Even if the stressors are small (emails, to-do lists, conversations), they can stack up and trigger your body’s primal alert system, flooding you with cortisol and adrenaline. Your heart rate spikes, digestion slows, and your mind races—making it nearly impossible to rest or focus.

And if it continues to go on, for an extended period of time or in frequent bouts, it leads to something called chronic trauma. It is charactered by repeated or prolonged exposure to distressing events or circumstances over an extended period. Waaay different than acute trauma, which we consider a single, bigger, isolated event. And is what many people consider the only type of trauma.

But it isn't ... chronic trauma is what creeps in on you and can lead to burnout.

And so many of us experience this because it's only recently come into the trending news column.

But I've learned that you can rewire your nervous system and increase your capacity to handle all the things that come your way.

Practices that regulate the nervous system, like slow, rhythmic movement, conscious breathwork, grounding touch, and connection to nature, signal to your body that it's safe.

They teach you to downshift into rest, digest, and repair.

That's the core of Earth Medicine Yoga: honoring your biology while inviting your spirit back home to your body.

Give it a try. Here are a few of my techniques.

They don't take very long. The idea is to interrupt the pattern as it's happening as well as introduce the feeling of safety in the body. And sometimes, it's overwhelming to do long practices. The idea of committing an hour to a yoga class can send you into a spiral. For me, it was easier to start with shorter practices more often rather than one practice once a week. Pick one, try it, decide if you like it. Try another one. But I encourage you, if you are experiencing overwhelm, to try one.

1. Hum. Not in a sing-song way. But in a way single-tone that resonates at your third eye center. I like to close my eyes and put my hand on my heart when I hum. This encourages your body to produce Nitric Oxide ... yeah, like the laughing gas. It's good for you.
2. Go out and stand barefoot in some grass or dirt. Actively push down into the earth. Repeat to yourself: I am capable of doing this. I can handle this. I will figure it out.
3. Put some lavendar oil in a diffuser or roll it on your wrists and relax into legs-up-a-wall pose. I recommend a cushion under your hips to elevate them above your heart. This will help reverse the blood flow, create relaxation, and help with muscle fatigue. I like to do it before bed.
4. Shake it out. Stand up, lay down, whatever is comfortable and just start to shake. Shake your arms out, your feet, your whole body. This will help discharge some of the energy racing through you that needs an exit outlet. Consider adding in some big sighs and/or audible exhales.

Whether it's for 30-seconds or 3-minutes, you'll begin to notice a shift. Once your nervous system feels better, maybe try creating some to-do lists, crossing off half of the items, pick out the absolutely necessary ones, and start there.