Soft Girl Spring: Rebuilding Your Nervous System After Burnout
Has the hamster wheel of life got you feeling like somewhere along the line you just went SPLAT, and it just kept spinning with you glued to the side with the momentum of nonstop obligations, deadlines, and demands, unable to get back up and keep running no matter how hard you try?
Yes? We call that burnout, and unfortunately it’s not something you can just keep pushing your way out of.
Burnout is a stage of exhaustion that comes from long term and intense stress. It leaves you feeling fatigued, unenthusiastic, cynical, and unable to perform. You might even experience physical symptoms like headaches, loss of appetite, body aches, or insomnia. Longer term, we can see weight gain, increased instances of heart disease and diabetes, and even earlier death.
It’s absolutely not something you should ignore, and in our world of hustle and side hustle culture, let's look at some ‘soft girl’ habits that can help to rebuild your nervous system after burnout, or prevent you from getting there to begin with.
Soft Girl Mornings
No Alarms
Let yourself wake up naturally whenever possible, and if you absolutely do need to set an alarm, try setting it 20 minutes early to give yourself some time to slow down. Try out gentle alarm sounds, or sunrise clocks. Jarring loud alarms give you a cortisol spike instantly upon waking, setting a tone of panic for your day.
Natural Light within 30 minutes of Waking
Our bodies are designed to be in harmony with nature's rhythms and cycles. Getting sunlight first thing in the morning works to keep our circadian rhythm attuned, for better sleep, digestion, hormone regulation, and improved mood. Get some natural light in your eyes when you wake up, trust me it’s better than coffee.
Nourish Before Caffeine
I know, I know this is a tall ask… but caffeine on an empty stomach really does wreak havoc on your body from cortisol, to blood sugar. Eat a protein rich breakfast first, enjoy the coffee after. At the very least, eat a quick protein snack alongside your morning joe, or add things like collagen powder, coconut oil, or grass fed butter to your coffee to help keep things stable.
A Day in the Life of a Soft Girl
Keep Movement Gentle
There is a time and a place for challenging, intense workouts… but recovering from burnout isn’t one of them. Keep your body stress free, but active with gentle movements like walking, stretching, or intuitive movement.
Leave the Phone Behind
Spend some time each day without your phone, and it’s constant interruptions and distractions. You’ll be surprised how much more peaceful a neighbourhood walk, or a sit at a coffee shop is when you are present, and noticing your surroundings.
Limit Overstimulating Content
Speaking of phones, pay attention to the kind of content you are consuming. Short form videos are extremely addicting and overstimulating to our brains. Limit yourself to 15-20 minutes a day on social media, if at all.
Eat Sitting Down, Unrushed
How many meals have you eaten in the car, or at your desk while you work? Did you even taste your food? The extra few minutes you might ‘save’ aren’t worth the digestive stress. Slow down, chew your food, enjoy the experience.
Breathe
Take a few seconds for deep, slow breathing throughout the day to remind you to choose softness over urgency whenever possible. Almost nothing we treat like an emergency actually is one.
Say No Without Over-Explaining
This might be a hard one to master at first, but when we chronically overcommit ourselves, and then start pulling back and saying no, it’s easy to go into the over explanation and justification. That tends to be just as mentally draining, especially if you aren’t solid yet on your boundaries you might overthink, talk yourself into a yes, or let yourself be talked into one.
Keep Space in Your Schedule
I know, we’re all busy, but resist the temptation to pack things in back to back from sunrise to your bedtime crash. I like to schedule ‘buffers’ around my engagements to allow for extra time in case something runs over, traffic is slow, or I just need a few extra minutes to reset between patients. Give yourself a little wiggle room so everyday isn’t a train of chaos from the moment little Jimmy wouldn't put on his shoes.
Spend Time in Nature Regularly
Science is now showing us that spending time in nature for even just 20 minutes significantly reduces stress, lowering cortisol levels and blood pressure, and slowing heart rate. Plus the fresh air, and natural light provides a host of benefits. We aren’t indoor creatures!
Reduce Multitasking
Slow down a bit and try to focus on one task at a time. Sometimes we just have too many mental tabs open at once, and we create a stressful situation where there doesn’t need to be one.
Speak to Yourself Gently
Would you keep working in a job if the boss stood there and yelled at you constantly telling you were dumb, useless, slow, and whatever other nasty things we say to ourselves every day? Probably not! You wouldn’t speak to someone else like that either, so pay attention to what that inner voice is saying, and change the tone to one of encouragement and compassion, and watch what happens.
Wind Down for the Softest Girl Sleep
Create Cozy, Low-light Environments in the Evening
Blue light exposure, from things like phones, fluorescent lighting, and TV screens increase our stress levels, and actually put the body into a more ‘alert’ state… not something we want to be doing when we’re trying to wind down for the night. Think warm lamps, candles, and fairy lights.
Journal to Release Mental Load
A great way to wind down for the night is to get everything swirling around in your brain, out of it. Dump it all out into your journal, schedule any tasks that need to get done, and call it a night.
Go to Bed at the Same Time Each Night
Our bodies thrive in routine. A consistent bedtime helps your body get into a cycle of wake/rest hormones and improves the quality of your sleep.
Soft Girl Supplements
A calm nervous system isn’t built overnight, but the right nutrients and herbs can gently guide your body back into balance.
Magnesium- helps with relaxation, eases muscle tension, supports sleep, and regulates the stress response.
B vitamins- (especially B12, B5 and B6) supports adrenal health and the production of calming neurotransmitters, building resilience over time.
Ashwagandha- acts as an adaptogen, helping to lower cortisol and smooth out that “wired but tired” feeling.
Chamomile and lavender teas- offer mild sedative effects while creating a soothing daily ritual.
Omega-3s- nourish the brain and help regulate mood and inflammation, supporting overall emotional stability.
L-theanine and glycine can further promote relaxation and better sleep.
The Moral of the Story
You don’t have to stop slaying dragons and taking names out there, but you can do it softly, and in a way that protects you, your peace, and your ability to do it all again tomorrow… you might even find you have a lot more enjoyment out of it all too!