I realised something was veeeery wrong with me when I woke up one day with lockjaw and I couldn’t get it to unlock - I am a longtime stress clencher in my sleep but when it’s got so bad that I literally couldn’t open my mouth I took it as a clear sign that I needed to make some changes.
I had been going through a bout of particularly stressful things in my life, and wasn’t really taking care of myself so it maybe shouldn’t have come as a shock that this happened. But anyway, it did, and it really freaked me out and also was bad enough that I couldn’t physically eat a bagel for 2 months so changes had to be made.
My routine isn’t 100% perfectly consistent but has helped me keep my nervous system at a good level and it’s what I come back to when I notice I’m floating a bit too far from myself and acting a bit weird.
None of it is groundbreaking but they’re small habits that once I started doing regularly I felt a lot of benefit from.
Go for a run
I used to be v sure that I couldn’t run, but it turns out you just have to start really, really slowly and then you go a bit faster and a bit further every time. Sometimes it’s horrible and I can’t wait for it to be over but I always feel better after even if I stop after 20 minutes. I really like using the Nike Run Club app for guided runs because it makes it a bit less boring.
Acupressure mat + breathwork
I lie on the mat most evenings - 10 or 15 minutes, but sometimes I’ll go for longer. Usually paired with some light breathwork (inhaling for 4, exhale for 8 is one of my favourites for slowing down) or a guided meditation.
Yoga nidra in bed
I listen to a Yoga Nidra track pretty much every night, it helps my system downshift without me having to think too hard and it helps me fall asleep (usually v quickly) because it stops me from overthinking.
Eye mask in bed
A dark dark room is so good for sleeping well, and the mask has the added bonus of being a deterrent of the bedtime phone scroll.