Simple micro-resets to regulate your nervous system at work

Do you have a tight jaw? Do you have tension in the shoulders? Then congratulations, you have achieved the corporate baseline.

In my work, I've helped high achievers. These people run their nervous systems like a laptop with fifty open tabs, air conditioning on, and battery at 2%. There’s a social contract that stress management is something we do after work. Sometimes a gym session at 8 pm or a yoga class on Sunday. But the nervous system is designed to respond in real time.

Instead of seeking bigger solutions, we need to start practicing micro-resets. Small, 60 second actions that help your brain learn that it is safe.

Understanding the window of tolerance

Before we begin with actions, let’s discuss one of the operating systems of your brain - the Window of Tolerance. In this state, you can endure the emails, the stress of the closing deadlines, and the critique with a great amount of ease.

However, when the pressure is constant, you either slip into Hyper-arousal (experiencing anxiety, panic, or irritability) or drop into Hypo-arousal (numbness, brain fog, and mindless Instagram scrolling for hours, even though you don't recall a single update).

The intentions behind these practices for the workday is to prevent you from falling out of the window instead of just trying to calm down.

1. The Sigh

This is arguably the most effective method to lower your heart rate. It is a biological hack that relieves the stress bubbles lingering in your lungs.

HOW: Inhale via your nose in a single deep breath, then take a second shorter inhale at the very top and then exhale via your mouth super slowly until you are completely out of breath.

WHY: The second inhale allows you to offload more carbon dioxide during the exhale by reinflating the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. Just by doing this twice, you can physically shift your body from the fight-or-flight state to the rest-and-digest state.

2. Peripheral Vision Reset

Being stressed out makes us feel as if we have tunnel vision. This feeling is a natural response to danger. To prevent this feeling, we have to consciously do the opposite. We have to widen our focus.

HOW: First, look away from the screen. Then, choose a distant point on a wall and try to without moving your eyes, focus on the left and right rooms. Do you see the sides of the rooms?

WHY: Tunnel vision causes the body to shift to a fight or flight response. When we widen our focus, we are signaling to the brain the presence of danger.

3. The Chai/Coffee Break

Most of us use chai breaks as a way to check and answer emails. This is not a break, this is stress in a new location.

HOW: For the first three sips of your tea or coffee, try to observe as much as you can. Feel the mug in your hands, the steam hitting your face and notice the warmth of the liquid.

WHY: This is a technique to ground yourself. It helps you forget about the meeting at 4 pm and focus on what your body is currently experiencing.

4. The Humming

The vagus nerve is one of the largest nerves in the human body, and you can stimulate it at the back of your throat.

HOW: Humming is a great way to stimulate the vagus nerve, so try it the next time you walk past the water cooler or get in the elevator. When doing this, try to feel the vibrations in your throat and chest.

WHY: The vagus nerve runs right alongside your vocal cords, and the vibration of humming acts like a gentle massage for the nerve, triggering the relaxation response.

5. Micro-boundaries

In corporates, the right to disconnect often feels like a myth. But you can still create physical boundaries.

HOW: When you are eating lunch, put your phone in a drawer or another room. Even having the phone visible on the table – even face down, creates a cognitive load because your brain is subconsciously waiting for it to light up.

WHY: It allows your brain to fully enter a task-neutral state, which is essential for creative problem-solving later in the day.

You don’t need a 90-minute meditation to save your sanity. Your nervous system responds much better to frequency over intensity.

In many corporations, the right to disconnect is almost a myth. You can develop more of a physical micro boundary though.

HOW: If you are eating lunch, put your phone in a drawer or even another room. Just the presence of a phone, even if it is facedown, is a cognitive load that creates a subconscious desire for the phone to light up.

WHY: This specific example may seem miniscule, but it allows your brain to fully enter a task-neutral state, and this state is critical for ensuring you will have the mental flexibility to overcome challenges later.

You don't need to meditate for an extended period of time. Your body and mind responds much better to small intervals of activity instead of one or two long sessions.

Taking five 30-second resets throughout the workday is much more impactful than doing one hour of self-care at the end of a tiring week.

Namrata Jain is a psychotherapist and relationship expert based in Mumbai.