Unclench that jaw!
Hi readers,
Lately, I have been really stressed.
Some interpersonal dynamics in my life have brought up a lot of anxiety, and I have noticed the very physical ways my body has been carrying it. My jaw has been clenched. My shoulders have been hiked up. The space between my eyebrows has been tight.
It is funny, because as a yoga teacher, I am often cueing people to notice those exact things. Unclench your jaw. Soften your shoulders. Relax the space between your eyebrows. Let your body know it does not have to brace quite so much.
And still, I need the reminders myself.
Even after years of mind-body practice, even after building a company to make these tools more accessible, I still need support. Many days, I use Nervana. Other times, I talk to my human coach for deeper one-on-one support and to work through the emotional patterns that are harder to untangle on my own.
I am sharing this because I think it is important to be honest about what recovery actually looks like.
It is not that you become so “advanced” that you never get anxious, never clench your jaw, never spiral, never need reminders, and never need support again. It is not that your body suddenly stops responding to stress.
Often, recovery looks much more ordinary than that.
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It looks like noticing your shoulders are up by your ears.
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It looks like realizing you have been trying to “perform” self-care perfectly.
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It looks like remembering that your body is not broken, but it may be asking for care.
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It looks like getting support before you completely burn out.
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It looks like lowering the pressure instead of turning healing into another thing to achieve.
Something my coach reminded me recently is that sometimes we need to lower our expectations of what “taking care of ourselves” has to look like.
Self-care does not have to mean meditating for 30 minutes, exercising for an hour, journaling perfectly, eating perfectly, sleeping 9 hours, and regulating your nervous system every time you feel activated.
Sometimes a good day is much more basic.
Did you sleep, or at least give your body a chance to rest?
Did you move your body, even a little?
Did you eat something nourishing?
Did you learn or notice something useful about yourself?
Did you connect with someone, even briefly?
That can be enough.
There is actually a similar framework used in migraine care called SEEDS, which is a simple way of remembering the core lifestyle supports that can help stabilize the nervous system: sleep, exercise, eating regularly, tracking patterns in a diary, and stress management. Different practitioners use slightly different versions of the acronym, but the spirit is the same.
The basics matter.
Our bodies are living systems. They need rhythm, nourishment, rest, movement, connection, and support.
And when we are already stressed, the last thing most of us need is a giant, perfectionistic self-care checklist that makes us feel like we are failing.
So this is your reminder for today:
Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Soften the space between your eyebrows.
Lower the bar.
You do not need to do self-care perfectly for the day to count. Sometimes the most healing thing is to stop asking so much of yourself and come back to the basics.
A quick Nervana update
Nervana is now available on Android. Thank you so much to everyone who has been patiently waiting. You can now download Nervana on the Google Play Store here.
Until next time,
Nora
Founder & CEO, Nervana
Important note: Nervana is an educational nervous-system coaching program and not medical care. If you have new, severe, or worsening symptoms, please seek medical evaluation and follow your clinician’s guidance. This newsletter is general information and not medical advice.