Check Your Nervous System, Not Just Your Inbox
Daily practices to stay balanced and avoid workplace burnout
Kamy Charles
7/31/20251 min read


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.