One of the lesser-taught techniques in nervous system regulation is this: sometimes we need to create stress on purpose—the right kind of stress—to return to a natural state of relaxation and rhythm.
Stress, when applied intentionally and mindfully, can trigger a reset. It seems counterintuitive—why would an increased heart rate or muscle tension lead to mental clarity? But for some people, myself included, applying structured physical effort can re-synchronize the body and mind. The key is awareness and breath.
Let me explain this simply. When I’m feeling anxious, it often begins as a subtle hum—somewhere between my chest and diaphragm, maybe a swirl in the head. It’s not always obvious. I might just feel like I need to move, to do something. In these moments, my goal isn’t to avoid the stress or distract from it. My goal is to transform it.
Running Into the Reset - Say I’m on a beach. I take off my shoes and start running barefoot in the sand. After half a mile, my heart rate is up, but oddly—I feel more relaxed. My breath begins to match my stride. The diaphragm loosens. The anxious vibration dissolves into rhythm. Though my body is under stress, my mind is aligning. I’m not escaping stress—I’m moving through it, and using breath as the anchor.
However, if I start breathing poorly—shallow or erratic—everything falls apart. The run becomes miserable. I disconnect. My stress increases, not because of the run itself, but because my breath broke the link between effort and awareness. But I can pause. I can take deep, steady breaths. I can re-enter the flow. The mind quiets, and I return to coherence: body, breath, mind, and heart rate in harmony.
Planks, Pressure, and Precision - I can achieve the same effect without leaving the room. One of my go-to practices is holding a low plank. Elbows bent, body hovering above the floor. I start breathing deeply. I contract as many muscle groups as I can—front, sides, back—bringing awareness to each one. My heart rate rises. Muscles tremble. I am under stress, but paradoxically, I’m finding relief.
It’s not the activity itself that matters—it’s the intention and breath. These physical stressors don’t cause panic because I’m choosing them. I’m in control. I’m overriding older patterns with conscious effort. This is the kind of adaptive stress that teaches the nervous system how to regulate again.
Cosmic Parallels: Pressure Before Creation - Think of it like the universe itself. Before the Big Bang, everything was compressed into a single, pressurized point—a dot of unimaginable potential. Then came the expansion. Our minds aren’t so different. From the moment of conception, we’re compacted potential. At birth, we experience perhaps the first true explosion of stress—squeezed, shocked, confused. And from that chaos, consciousness arrives.
Throughout life, we unconsciously create stress. But unlike the unconscious tension that leaves us exhausted, conscious stress, created and released through breath and movement, can be liberating. It clears stagnant emotional energy and helps the mind reassemble with more focus and ease.
Micro-Movements for Macro-Relief - You don’t need to run marathons or do extreme calisthenics to apply this idea. Just do 10 slow push-ups. Hold a horse stance for 60 seconds. Contract your muscles while standing and breathe deeply into the tension. Or sit on the floor and do slow, deliberate squats, staying connected to your breath the entire time.
Not everyone can—or should—do these exact exercises. The idea isn’t the movement itself. It’s the message to your nervous system: “We are awake, we are safe, we are here.”
Breathing as the Primary Regulator - If physical movement isn’t possible, the breath alone can be the reset. Try this:
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Inhale deeply through the nose.
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Hold your breath for 10 to 20 seconds.
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Exhale slowly through the mouth.
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Repeat for 4 to 5 rounds.
This simple breathing pattern can help prevent your brain from slipping into chaos over small stressors. It brings you back to the neocortex, where thoughtful awareness lives. It gets you out of the reactionary loops triggered by the amygdala and hippocampus—those deeper brain structures that manage survival, memory, and threat detection—and back into the part of the mind that can choose.
My Daily Reset - Most mornings, I wake up, drink water, use the bathroom, and return to my space. I do some simple stretches—downward dogs, cat-cow, maybe a few slow push-ups. But I’m not just moving—I’m breathing with intention. I’m creating mild stress on purpose. Not to punish myself, but to reboot.
That’s the art of it: stress isn’t always the enemy. Sometimes, it’s the path to stillness. The mind, when guided by breath and movement, can learn to re-regulate. You can come home to yourself—chemically, neurologically, and spiritually—one conscious breath at a time.