Feeling like you’re constantly running on empty? In this episode, registered nurse and nervous system regulation coach Audrey Rose breaks down what it really means to regulate your nervous system—and no, it’s not about being zen 24/7 or quitting your job.
We dive into Audrey’s personal burnout story from her time as a lead nurse during the pandemic, the science behind fight-or-flight vs. rest-and-digest, and her four-step RISE method for managing stress in real time. You’ll learn practical tools like EFT tapping, box breathing, and sound healing that actually work when you’re dealing with 700 unread emails, screaming kids, or an overwhelming inbox.
This conversation is packed with science-backed strategies you can use right now—whether you’re locked in a bathroom for five minutes or winding down at the end of the day. If you’re a high-achiever who wants to keep your ambition without burning out, this episode is for you.
You know that feeling when you walk in the door after work and immediately snap at your partner over something ridiculous? Or when you open your laptop in the morning, see your inbox, and feel your chest tighten before you’ve even read a single email?
That’s your nervous system screaming for help.
Most of us are walking around thinking we just need to “manage stress better” or “find more balance,” when what we actually need is to understand how our bodies are wired to respond to threats.
What’s Actually Happening in Your Body When You’re “Just Stressed”
Let’s get into the science for a second, because understanding this changed how I think about everything.
Your nervous system has two main modes:
Sympathetic (The Gas Pedal): This is your fight-or-flight response. When your brain perceives a threat—whether that’s a tiger or your boss’s name popping up in your inbox—your body diverts blood away from digestion to your muscles. Your pupils dilate to focus on the threat. Stress hormones like cortisol flood your system. You’re ready to run.
Parasympathetic (The Brakes): This is your rest-and-digest state. Your body relaxes, your digestion works properly, you can actually think clearly and be present.
Here’s the problem: we’re supposed to go on a nice scenic drive through life with a little gas, a little brake. But most of us are pedal to the metal, all day, every day.
And here’s the truly messed up part: when you stay in that sympathetic state long enough, your body starts to crave the stress. You become addicted to the cortisol. You start to feel weird when things are calm. You create problems where there aren’t any because your body is so used to operating in crisis mode.
Sound familiar?
The Rise Method: Four Steps to Get Out of Survival Mode
Audrey developed a framework she calls the RISE Method, and I love it because it’s simple enough to remember when you’re actively losing your mind. Here’s how it works:
R – Recognize
Start noticing what your stress signals are. For Audrey, it’s snapping at people and isolating. For me, it’s also the snapping—my husband and even my dogs know something’s off when I start getting short with them.
Your signals might be different:
- Shallow breathing
- Jaw clenching
- Avoiding people’s texts
- That feeling of dread when you look at your calendar
- Physical tension in your shoulders or neck
The awareness piece is huge. You can’t interrupt a pattern you don’t recognize.
I – Interrupt
This is the hard part: you have to walk away. Put yourself in timeout like a toddler.
Close the email tab. Tell your partner “I love you, I’m overwhelmed, give me five minutes.” Lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to.
I do this all the time. My husband knows that when I disappear to our bedroom for a few minutes, I’m not mad at him—I’m regulating.
S – Somatic Regulation
This is where you actually do something to signal to your body that you’re safe. Audrey teaches three main techniques:
Box Breathing: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Repeat. This activates your vagus nerve—the main highway that carries “you’re safe” signals from your body to your brain.
EFT Tapping: This might feel weird at first (Audrey almost didn’t go into her first sound healing session because she thought it would be “some weird cult thing”), but emotional freedom technique tapping has been proven to reduce cortisol levels by 43% in an hour. Even five minutes makes a difference.
Sound Healing: Whether it’s an app, a YouTube video, or actual singing bowls, sound vibrates your cells and helps shift your nervous system state.
The key is finding what works for you. I had a therapist once tell me to sip cold water through a straw when I felt tears coming at work—something about the sucking motion activates the vagus nerve. She also told me to stand on one leg, which sounds ridiculous but I swear you cannot cry while balancing. Try it.
E – Embody
This is where the neuroplasticity kicks in. Every time you go through the recognize-interrupt-regulate cycle, you’re building new neural pathways. You’re teaching your brain that it’s possible to experience stress and come back down.
Over time, you’ll notice you have more capacity. Things that used to send you into a spiral don’t anymore. You catch yourself sooner. You respond instead of react.
You’re not becoming some zen monk who never gets stressed. You’re becoming someone who can ride the waves without drowning.
What “Regulated” Actually Looks Like (It’s Not What You Think)
Here’s what nervous system regulation is NOT:
- Being calm all the time
- Never experiencing stress
- Quitting your job and doing yoga on a beach somewhere
- Toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine
Here’s what it IS:
- Noticing when you’re stressed before you hit the breaking point
- Having tools to bring yourself back down
- Building capacity to handle life’s actual demands
- Setting boundaries because you can recognize what’s too much
- Responding to your partner with “that’s too much for me right now” instead of snapping their head off
As Audrey said in our conversation:
“I want you to go do all the things, like live your best freaking life.”
…but with the nervous system tools to actually sustain it.
The Part Where We Stop Gaslighting Ourselves
Here’s something Audrey and I both noticed: when you normalize chronic stress, you lose the ability to identify real danger.
It’s like the boy who cried wolf, but you’re both the boy and the wolf and the villagers who stopped believing.
You start justifying toxic workplaces. You tell yourself “everyone’s inbox is overwhelming” or “this is just how corporate culture is.” You gaslight yourself into thinking the problem is you—you’re not resilient enough, you’re not managing your time well enough, you’re too sensitive.
But here’s the truth: if your body is constantly in fight-or-flight, that’s data. That’s your nervous system telling you something is genuinely wrong.
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is believe your body.
Start Small, Start Now
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life today. You don’t need to quit your job or sign up for a three-month sabbatical (though if you need that, please do it).
What you need is to try one thing:
- Set a timer for five minutes and do box breathing
- Download a sound healing meditation for tonight before bed
- Notice what your stress signals are and write them down
- Stand on one leg the next time you feel overwhelmed (seriously, try it)
The point isn’t perfection. The point is interruption. You’re breaking the pattern of letting stress compound until you snap or shut down completely.
Your nervous system has been working overtime to keep you safe. It’s done an incredible job. Now it just needs some help learning that not everything is an emergency.
Got thoughts or questions from this week’s episode? Drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! 🫶
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To connect with Audrey Rose:
- Instagram (https://instagram.com/helloaudreyrose)
- Ready to Rise Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-to-rise/id1541500424)
- The Happiness Mini Bundle – use code BADASS (https://www.helloaudreyrose.com/happiness)
I’m Tara Kermiet — leadership coach, burnout strategist, and host of The Balanced Badass Podcast®. I help high-achievers and corporate leaders design careers that are successful and sustainable.
Here, you’ll find tactical tools, leadership lessons, and burnout education that just makes sense.
👉 Start by taking my free Burnout Drivers Mini Assessment
😍 Join my community on Instagram (@TaraKermiet) and/or TikTok (@TaraKermiet) so we can stay connected!
