bottom-up-nervous-system-regulation

In stressful situations, your body sends four times more information to your brain than your brain sends to your body. Instead of trying to "think" your way out of anxiety (top-down), use "bottom-up" physiological levers—specifically breath and somatic awareness—to change your state first. When you change the state of the body, the "story" the mind tells itself follows.

Use these specific breathing and somatic protocols to shift your nervous system based on the immediate need.

The Downshift (For Anxiety and Stress) Use this to activate the parasympathetic nervous system when you feel flustered or over-stimulated.

Use physiological "bottom-up" interventions to rapidly shift your state of mind. Apply this when feeling high-stakes anxiety before a presentation, detecting early signs of burnout (the "feather"), or when you are stuck in a repetitive, anxious thought loop. Source: samarv/shanon.