Day 2 – Regulate Your Nervous System
You cannot build a peaceful life on a chaotic nervous system.
You can journal every morning. You can wake up at five. You can follow the best productivity systems in the world. But if your body feels unsafe, nothing works. Not for long.
You think you’re tired because you’re doing too much. But what if you’re exhausted because your nervous system never feels safe enough to rest?
I used to think clarity came from strategy. From better plans. More tools. Sharper routines. I optimised everything, my schedule, my goals, my habits. I read the books, stacked the calendars, and exercised early mornings everyday. From the outside, I looked driven. Structured. Controlled.
But inside, I was restless.
Not the restless that goes away with sleep. The kind that hums under the surface, always on, always tight, always wired. I could feel it in my jaw. In my chest. In this way, I could never stop checking, moving, reacting.
Until one day, I froze.
Right in the middle of a meeting, I went blank. Words vanished. Logic failed. My chest got tight. My hands were cold. It felt like I was drowning on dry land. After the call, I sat still. Listened.
There was no calm. No centre. Just a body that had been screaming for years while I was too busy to hear it.
That moment broke something. But it also opened something.
I realised I had built my life on effort while ignoring safety.
You can chase success, but if your body is in fight-or-flight mode, it will sabotage every step. You’ll forget what peace feels like. You’ll mistake urgency for purpose. You’ll push harder, even when what you need is to pause and breathe.
Because a dysregulated nervous system doesn't let you thrive, it only enables you to survive.
And surviving is not the goal.
I started small, not with big healing practices or spiritual revelations. I just started by breathing. Deliberately. Slowly. Every morning, before the world touched me. I would sit still and reclaim my state.
Then I added a body scan. No phone. No distraction. Just my attention moving slowly through every part of me. Head to toe. Reconnecting. Reclaiming.
Later, I learned about something called the Default Mode Network (DMN). A part of the brain that lights up when we stop doing and start being. It activates when we daydream, reflect, remember, or wander.
The best ideas come not when we force ourselves to focus, but when we give ourselves the space to think. The DMN is where clarity lives, where patterns emerge. Where insight happens, it only appears when you stop chasing and start allowing.
Here is more information on the DMN
You cannot think clearly with a clenched jaw and shallow breath.
You cannot lead powerfully when your body feels under threat.
You cannot create deeply when your mind is stuck in survival.
If your nervous system is dysregulated, your whole life is out of sync.
No tool will save you until you return to safety.
So here is what I learned. And what I live now.
1. Breathe like it matters because it does.
Box breathing. Four in. Four hold. Four out. Four hold. Repeat. Reset. Reclaim your calm from the chaos.
More information on this here -
2. Scan your body. Let it speak.
Every day, take five minutes to move your attention from your head to your toes. No judgment. Just awareness. Let the tension release. Let your body tell the truth your mind ignores.
More information on this here -
3. Create space for stillness.
Go for a walk. No phone. No agenda. Let your mind wander. Let the Default Mode Network do its quiet, brilliant work. It is not wasted time. It is where the answers live.
—
This is not self-care. This is self-preservation.
This is not about being soft. This is about becoming unshakable.
Because when your nervous system is calm, your mind sharpens.
Your presence deepens. Your decisions improve.
You do not need to hustle harder. You need to feel safer.
Regulation is the gateway to clarity.
Clarity is the gateway to power.
Power is the gateway to purpose.
—
So here’s your challenge.
Right now, stop scrolling.
Set a timer for five minutes.
Sit still. Breathe. Scan. Listen.
Do it like your future depends on it.
Because it does.
No more waiting. No more pushing through. No more pretending you can build a strong life on shaky foundations.
Regulate now. Then rise.
With Love, Amit
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only. It does not and should not be considered professional advice. Information shared here is current at the time of publication, but may become outdated with time. Please verify details before relying on them. Use your own good judgment and consult a qualified expert before acting according to the information I provide.
Great post!