Check Your Nervous System, Not Just Your Inbox

Daily practices to stay balanced and avoid workplace burnout

Kamy Charles

7/31/20251 min read

a poster with a brain map of a brain
a poster with a brain map of a brain

The Unread Notifications You Can’t See

Every day, professionals obsess over unread emails, pings, and notifications.

But there’s another queue you’re ignoring: your nervous system.

That jittery feeling before a meeting?

The brain fog that hits after hours of multitasking?

The irritability that sneaks into your tone?

Those are messages too—and they matter more than your inbox count.

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Why Nervous System Regulation Matters

Your nervous system determines how you think, feel, and perform.

When it’s constantly in fight-or-flight mode:

Focus crumbles

Decision-making suffers

Burnout accelerates

But when it’s regulated, you can handle challenges without losing clarity or calm.

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Daily Practices to Stay Regulated

Here’s how you can support your nervous system—without needing hours of downtime:

1. Morning Mindfulness

→ Start your day with 5 minutes of breathwork or grounding instead of diving into emails.

2. Scheduled Micro-Breaks

→ Step away from your screen every 90 minutes to reset your brain and body.

3. Somatic Check-Ins

→ Notice tension in your shoulders, jaw, or stomach. Release it with stretching or gentle movement.

4. Digital Boundaries

→ Set times for checking emails and silence notifications during deep work.

5. Evening Decompression

→ Close mental loops before logging off—list tomorrow’s priorities, then mentally sign out.

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Final Thought

You’re not a machine. You’re a human nervous system trying to perform in a high-speed world.

Inbox zero means nothing if your body and mind are running on empty.

Regulate first. Respond second. Lead better.