By Morgan Thain Miller

At the beginning of June, I felt completely done. Not just tired I mean exhausted. I’d come home from work and just lie in bed. No music, no podcasts, no scrolling. I didn’t want to run like I usually did. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t even want to think. I didn’t feel like myself, but I didn’t have the energy to care.

At the time, I thought I was just burnt out. But looking back now, I know my nervous system was overwhelmed. I was overstimulated in every way. My body was stuck in survival mode and had been for months.

Then I went to Greece and everything changed.

I Wasn’t Even Sure About Greece

My best friend picked it. I had never been, and to be honest, I wasn’t that excited. I didn’t think I needed a holiday. I thought I just needed a few days off and I’d feel fine again.

But Greece slowed me down in a way I didn’t expect. The heat made me move slower. The beach gave me space to breathe. The late night walks, the quiet mornings, the fresh air it all felt healing. I wasn’t looking at the clock all the time. I wasn’t rushing from thing to thing. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t doing anything and somehow, that was everything.

I felt calm again. Present. Soft. Like I could hear myself think, and my thoughts weren’t heavy anymore.

I Didn’t Know My Nervous System Was Screaming

Most people don’t realise when they’re dysregulated. I didn’t. I just thought I was moody and tired and unmotivated. But what I’ve learned is this:

Your nervous system controls how safe you feel. When you’re constantly on edge, overthinking, tense, snapping, numb, drained that’s not your personality. That’s your nervous system begging for a break.

It’s not just stress. It’s your body being stuck in fight or flight the survival mode that helps you deal with danger, but burns you out when it never turns off.

I had been living in fight or flight for months. Greece finally gave me space to shift into rest and reset.

The Science Behind It (Without Getting Too Nerdy)

Your nervous system has two main modes: sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest). The first one keeps you alert and tense. The second one calms your heart rate, helps you sleep, heals your body, and clears your mind.

When you’re stuck in stress mode too long, you can’t think clearly. You feel unsafe even when nothing’s wrong. You don’t rest properly. Your body is constantly on edge. Even small tasks feel huge.

And you can’t mindset your way out of it. You can journal and meditate all you want, but if your nervous system still thinks you’re in danger, you’ll stay stuck.

You have to show your body it’s safe again. You have to reset.

Signs You Might Need a Nervous System Reset

If you relate to any of these, your nervous system might be dysregulated too:

• You’re exhausted but you can’t actually relax
• You’re easily overwhelmed, even by small things
• You feel numb when you want to feel joy
• You overthink constantly
• You shut down or feel disconnected
• You snap quickly and regret it after
• You struggle to be present

It’s not that something is wrong with you. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. Your body just doesn’t feel safe.

What Actually Helped Me Reset

For me, Greece was the full reset. But even now that I’m home, I’ve been trying to keep the same energy. I started doing little things that help calm my system every day. They don’t fix everything overnight, but they help me feel grounded again.

Here’s what helps me:

Cold water. I know it sounds dramatic, but it works. Whether it’s splashing my face first thing in the morning or ending my shower cold it reminds my body we’re alive, we’re present, and we’re okay.

Breathing differently. Not just deep breaths for the sake of it. But slowing it right down. In for 4, hold for 2, out for 6. It activates your vagus nerve, which literally tells your body: we’re safe now. It’s free and you can do it anywhere.

Walking with no phone. Just outside, even for 5 minutes. No music. No messages. No distractions. I let my eyes focus on trees or buildings far away it’s called “optic flow” and it naturally calms the nervous system.

Stretching in silence. Sometimes after a long day I put a mat down, light a candle, and just stretch. No yoga routine. No pressure to do it right. Just moving slowly and letting my body release everything it’s been holding in all day.

Sound. Humming, singing, even just putting on soft music I love. The vibrations activate your parasympathetic system (the rest-and-digest one). I’ll hum while I tidy or sing softly while getting ready and it helps bring my energy down.

Being near water or nature. Even if it’s just a walk by the river or sitting in the garden. Nature is nervous system medicine. The earth literally grounds you. It’s like your body remembers something older than all this modern stress.

Doing less. This is the biggest one for me. Not forcing myself to be “productive” when I know I’m done. Saying no when I usually say yes. Logging off early. Letting myself just exist without having to prove anything.

It’s not about doing all of them perfectly. It’s about choosing one thing a day that reminds your body you’re safe. That you don’t need to be on high alert anymore.

You Deserve to Feel Calm Again

I didn’t realise how burnt out I was until I felt peace again.

And maybe you’re in that place too. Maybe you’ve been in survival mode so long that you’ve forgotten what it feels like to just be. To feel soft. To feel safe. To actually enjoy your own life.

You don’t need a luxury retreat. You don’t need to “earn” rest. You don’t need to wait until you’ve done more, achieved more, fixed more. If your body is whispering that it’s had enough believe it.

You deserve to come home to yourself again. Not the you that pushes through. The real you underneath all that stress.

The you that breathes deeply. That feels present. That feels joy. That feels alive.

Remember, it all starts with self love

-M