Someone recently asked me how I figured out what resets my nervous system. Such a great question! I talk about all sorts of tools and strategies for navigating life, self-care, and resetting our senses. But I don’t talk much about figuring out which ones work for you.
The short answer is to test and retest.
Try everything that piques your interest, and see how it works for you and makes you feel. If you liked it, try it again. If you didn’t like it, it didn’t help, or stars forbid it made things worse, toss it.
With time you build a toolbox of habits, rituals, and strategies to go back to over and over again.
HERE ARE 7 CHANGES THAT HELP ME LIVE A MORE LEVEL LIFE.
- Going outside every day without my phone.
Thankfully my dogs make this a non-negotiable. 🎾 If you’ve ever spent a minute in my Instagram stories, you’ve seen us playing ball and splashing in the doggie pool between calls.
- ScreenZen 📱
Speaking of phones… I recently realized I needed to rein in my social media time, so I found the app ScreenZen. It’s currently free and works on Android and Apple. It’s AMAZING. I can completely block myself out of apps or set it to kick me out after 15 minutes. It’s made me more deliberate and aware of my endless scrolling.
- Journaling on the regular 📓
My brain can be a noisy place. Finding a way to get the noise out helps me feel more collected, process what’s going on in life, and often lets me see patterns where other shit is or isn’t working for me. (Want to get started journaling but need help?)
- Shifting my mindset from “exercise” to “move my body” 🧘🏻♀️
I know you’ve been told at least once in your life that exercise will solve all your problems. But, ugh, I just don’t wanna these days. And I know that it does help my brain and body to feel better.
So shifting the mindset from ‘exercise’ to ‘movement’ took so much pressure off. Somedays, I go hard and sweat it up; other days, I do some light stretching and a short walk. Both are equally valid.
- Got sober curious 🧃
I got in the habit of a nightly drink or 2. I by no means felt like it was a problem, but I didn’t love the habit. As the adult child of an alcoholic, I’ve always been aware of my drinking habits. Last year I got sober curious, which benefitted my sleep quality, focus, and wallet.
- Schedule calls and visits with my mom and good friend 📆
I suck at remembering to stay in touch with people, so my mom and I scheduled a Zoom call every other Tuesday. It seemed silly at first to be scheduling these things, but it works so well. I love getting to check in with some of my most important peeps on the regular.
- Letting go of shoulds and the judgment that goes with them. 🫶🏼
Ok….this one might still be a work in progress but….
I work hard to make decisions for me, myself, and I. Letting go of how I “should” be doing things or judging myself for not doing them in “normal” or neurotypical ways has taken so much pressure off me.
THERE ARE NO HARD AND FAST RULES IN THIS GAME OF LIFE.
Figure out what works for you and lean into that. Also, be on the lookout for new ideas. We’re always growing and evolving. I just started being aware of and implementing most of this list in the last 2 years, and I know this list will continue to evolve.
Heyo! I’m Casey. I’ve got a Masters in Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling. As well as several flavors of neurodivergence. It’s my mission to help you integrate the lens of neurodivergence into your life in a way that allows you to grow and navigate change with confidence and intention.
