Sometimes the strongest thing you can do isn’t push harder ~ it’s pause long enough to catch your breath.
Here are 3 tools how…
Hey y’all. Welcome to More Lovin, the podcast that brings more laughter, light, and love into everyday life. I’m your host LeAnn Austin, and together we’ll rediscover the beauty of connection to your body, your mind, your spirit, and the people you love.
Today’s episode #234: Catch Your Breath
Hey y’all. Welcome back to More Lovin. I am so glad you’re here. We are continuing our series, Your Calm, Strong Climb ~ a five-part journey all about understanding your nervous system so you can feel calmer, stronger, and more supported in everyday life.
In our first episode, Base Camp, we talked about understanding why you feel the way you do. We explored Team Hyper, Team Hypo, and your Zone of Resilience. We talked about how your body isn’t working against you, it’s working to protect you.
And today, we take the next step on the climb, episode #234: Catch Your Breath. Because once you start noticing your nervous system, the next question becomes, what can I actually do when I feel myself starting to spiral?
What if you could calm your body before the overwhelm takes over? Before the overthinking snowballs, before the shutdown, before the snapping, the panic, or the emotional exhaustion? What if small shifts could change the whole climb?
Today is about learning how to pause instead of push. Because so many of us have been taught to power through stress. Push harder, keep going, ignore what your body is saying.
But what if your greatest strength isn’t always pushing? What if sometimes your strength is pausing long enough to catch your breath?
Today is your reminder. You don’t have to wait until you completely unravel to support yourself. You can interpret stress patterns earlier. You can create safety sooner. You can help your body return to calm in small, powerful ways.
So today, I want to share a few simple nervous system tools ~ because this climb gets easier when you actually have tools for the journey.
Tool number one, which is a favorite of mine and I use all the time, the physiological sigh, AKA your body’s reset breath. This is one of the quickest ways to calm your nervous system in the moment.
Here’s how: Take one deep breath, inhale through your nose, and then one more small inhale to top it off, and then slowly exhale through your mouth.
Let’s do it together. Big inhale, small inhale, long exhale. This type of breathing can help reduce stress quickly by signaling safety to your body. Sometimes calm doesn’t start with your thoughts. Often, calm starts with your breath.
Tool number two, orienting. Reminding your body that you’re safe.
When your nervous system feels activated, your body may be scanning for danger, even when you’re actually okay. So gently pause and look around. Notice five things you can see. A color, a light, a window, a tree. This simple practice helps remind your nervous system, “I am safe right now.” It sounds small, but little shifts can powerfully interrupt spirals.
Tool number three, loosen one thing.
When stress rises, the body often tightens. Jaw clenched, shoulders up, hands tight. So ask yourself, “What can I soften right now?” Maybe it’s your shoulders. Maybe it’s unclenching your hands, or maybe it’s unsqueezing those tail-hiney butt cheeks.
You do not have to force your whole body to relax. Just loosen one thing, because one small act of safety can create another.
Now, here’s what I really want you to hear today. Regulation doesn’t always mean eliminating stress. It means creating enough safety in your body that stress doesn’t completely take over. This is how we climb calmer. Not by never feeling stress, but by learning how to catch our breath before the spiral deepens.
So I want you to ask yourself, where could I pause instead of push? Maybe before reacting, maybe before over-committing, maybe before criticizing yourself, or maybe before spiraling into overwhelm.
What if your next breakthrough isn’t in doing more, but in pausing long enough to support yourself differently?
On this Calm, Strong Climb, catching your breath is not weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s strength. It’s how you keep climbing.
So today, practice one pause, one breath, one small shift, because little by little, these moments add up. And the more you learn to catch your breath, the more calm, clarity, and strength you create on your climb. Hmmm, something to think about.
Here’s to catching your breath, pausing with purpose, and more lovin. Have a good one y’all.
Thanks for tuning in. If you’re ready to take what we talk about here and make it personal, let’s work together one-on-one. I’ll help you calm your nervous system, strengthen your relationships, and create more lovin, laughter, and calm in your life. You can find all the details at leannaustin.com
Until next time, keep choosing fun, connection, and a whole lot more lovin. Have a good one y’all.