Hey {{first_name|there}},
Last week, I wrote about how much calmer I felt after getting out of London and spending a weekend by the sea.
The challenge was bringing that feeling home with me.
It's easy to slow down when you're looking at the sea. It's much harder when you're back in the city and fall back into routine.
So this week, I made a point of creating more space around it.
I stopped working earlier. I booked a haircut and a full-body massage. I spent some time in the sauna and steam room.
I also went for a walk in the park with a friend and spent some proper time with my father.
Those moments reminded me that calming the nervous system isn't only about doing less.
It also comes from doing more of the right things. And a big part of that was reconnection.
A conversation with someone you feel at ease with. Time with family. Being around people who don't need anything from you.
I gave myself some of that space too.
I started reading again in the morning. In the evening, I put on my Night Swannies (blue-light-blocking glasses) and watched something calming before bed.
I've also been using my Pulsetto. It sits around my neck and uses gentle electrical pulses to stimulate the vagus nerve.
That nerve is involved in helping the body move out of its stress response and into the state where it can rest and recover.
I use it when I want to give my body a clearer signal that it's time to slow down.
This is the Pulsetto I use. Code TIMBIOHACKER gets you 15% off, and FYI I DO NOT get commission.
By the end of the week, my sleep score had improved by 6 to 10 points each night. My HRV had improved too.
I can't put that down to one massage or device.
I think it came from giving my body more chances to settle throughout the day, instead of expecting it to switch off the moment I got into bed.
The work still got done.
I just stopped letting it take every available hour.
One thing worth doing this week
Spend an hour with someone you feel completely at ease around.
Go for a walk or share a meal without turning it into another productive activity.
Your nervous system responds to the people around you. Time with someone who makes you feel safe can help your body relax in a way that another hour alone with a screen rarely does.
Pay attention to how you feel afterwards, and whether you sleep differently that night.
Look after yourself,
Tim 💚