I remember what it felt like to live on the edge of burnout. Cortisol all over the place. Nervous system shot. No amount of supplements, planners, or HIIT classes made a dent in my exhaustion. I was wired at night and dragging in the morning. My body felt like it had forgotten how to turn off.

And maybe you’re in that place right now—always on, constantly overthinking, never actually feeling rested. I see you. I’ve been you.

Here’s what I’ve learned: healing your nervous system isn’t about adding more. It’s about taking an honest look at the habits that are keeping your body in survival mode—and stopping the ones that are quietly sabotaging your energy and stress response.

Let’s break down the five daily habits I had to stop in order to reset my nervous system and bring my cortisol back into balance.

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1. Drinking Coffee First Thing (and Skipping Breakfast)

This one hurt. I used to go straight for the coffee pot before I even opened my eyes fully. But starting the day with caffeine—especially on an empty stomach—sent my nervous system into panic mode before the day even started.

Caffeine spikes cortisol. And when you skip breakfast, there’s nothing to buffer the crash. It’s a fast track to blood sugar chaos, anxiety, and a jolt-and-crash cycle your body wasn’t designed to handle.

👊 What I do now: I eat something within 30 minutes of waking up. Protein, healthy fats, something simple—even a spoonful of nut butter helps. I still enjoy coffee, but now it comes after food, once my body knows it’s safe.

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2. Reaching for My Phone Before My Feet Hit the Floor

Email. Slack. News headlines. Social media. All of it used to hit me before I even got out of bed. And I wondered why I felt anxious by 7:30am.

Your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between a real emergency and your inbox. When the first thing you do is plug into chaos, you start the day in fight-or-flight. Not grounded. Not clear. Not ready.

👊 What I do now: I give myself 10 minutes—minimum—of screen-free time in the morning. I breathe. I stretch. I open a window. It’s not fancy, but it works.

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3. Holding in My Emotions Instead of Releasing Them

For years, I powered through. I didn’t cry. I didn’t slow down. I stuffed my feelings into my muscles, my gut, my jaw—and told myself I was fine.

But emotions are energy in motion. And when we don’t move that energy, it gets stuck. It creates chronic tension, inflammation, hormone imbalances, and a nervous system that forgets how to shift out of survival mode.

👊 What I do now: I make space to feel. Not judge—just feel. I journal. I cry. I breathe deeply with my hand on my chest. Releasing isn’t weakness—it’s regulation.

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4. Constantly Consuming Content

I used to fill every gap in my day with something—podcasts, audiobooks, voice notes, reels, news. I told myself it was “productive.” But really? I was just afraid to be still.

Your nervous system needs silence. Without it, your brain never drops into the default mode state—the space where it can rest, integrate, and regulate. Constant input keeps your system in a state of hypervigilance.

👊 What I do now: I build in quiet. No headphones on walks. No background noise during chores. Just space. It was uncomfortable at first. Now, it’s sacred.

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5. Staying Up Late to Get Things Done

I used to wait until the kids were asleep and the house was quiet—and then I’d start working. I convinced myself it was my only window of productivity. But I paid for it the next day. I felt foggy, irritable, and like I was never truly catching up.

Sleep isn’t optional. It’s not a luxury. It’s your body’s most powerful regulation tool. And an inconsistent bedtime throws your cortisol rhythm completely off.

👊 What I do now: I have a non-negotiable bedtime (9pm). If the dishes don’t get done? They wait. I’d rather clean a sink in the morning with energy than stay up burning myself out. That trade-off changed everything.

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If you’re in a dysregulated state, please hear this: healing doesn’t have to mean doing more. Often, it starts by stopping what’s quietly keeping you stuck.

Let your habits tell your body, “You’re safe now.”

And if you want help shifting out of survival mode and into true resilience, download the Nervous System Reset Guide—it’s free, and it’s the perfect next step if any of this hit home.

You’re not broken. You’re burned out. And you can come back to life.

—Michelle

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