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3 Science-Backed Practices to Calm Your Mind and Body When You’re Overwhelmed
- Ling Shi
- Oct 6
- 4 min read
Feeling tense or overwhelmed lately?You’re not alone.
Stress has become the modern default — a constant background hum many of us barely notice until our bodies start sending signals: headaches, tight shoulders, racing thoughts, or sleepless nights.
As someone who’s experienced burnout twice, I know how easy it is to keep pushing through, convincing yourself you just need to “get through this week.” But here’s the truth: you don’t have to push through it.
In my work as a burnout and resilience coach, and through my own journey as a freediver, movement teacher, and mindfulness practitioner, I’ve found that the key to recovering from stress and preventing burnout lies in how we regulate our nervous system.
Here are three of my favorite, science-backed techniques — the same ones I use personally and with my clients to reset, ground, and restore balance.
🫁 1. Breathwork: Calm Your Nervous System Fast
When you’re stressed, your body automatically shifts into fight-or-flight mode, activating the sympathetic nervous system. Breathwork helps bring you back to rest-and-digest mode by stimulating the vagus nerve, which slows the heart rate and promotes calm.
Research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows that slow, rhythmic breathing (around 5–6 breaths per minute) can significantly reduce cortisol levels and anxiety, while increasing heart rate variability (HRV) — a key indicator of resilience and emotional balance.
How to do it:
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
Hold your breath for 4 counts.
Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.
Hold again for 4 counts.Repeat for 3–5 minutes.
You’ll notice your mind quieting, your heart slowing, and your body settling into stillness.
When to use it:
Before a presentation or meeting
When anxiety spikes
After a long, emotionally charged day
Even 3–5 minutes of conscious breathing can reset your stress response and bring you back to center.
🧘 2. Meditation: Anchor the Heart and Clear the Mind
Meditation isn’t about “emptying your mind” — it’s about training your attention to return to the present moment, again and again.
Numerous studies, including one from Harvard Medical School, show that mindfulness meditation can reduce activity in the amygdala (the brain’s fear center) and increase gray matter in regions linked to emotional regulation and focus.
But you don’t need to meditate perfectly. You just need to show up, breathe, and allow yourself to be.
How to do it:
Sit or lie down comfortably.
Close your eyes and focus on your breath.
Notice sensations — your chest rising, air moving through your nose.
When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath.
Continue for 5–10 minutes.
When to use it:
At the start or end of your day
When emotions feel heavy
Before sleep, to transition into rest
Over time, meditation builds emotional resilience — you become less reactive, more grounded, and more compassionate with yourself.
🌀 3. MBAR (Muscle–Body Awareness Relaxation): Deep Rest, Redefined
This is a technique I developed by blending Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) and Yoga Nidra — two evidence-based relaxation methods.
I call it MBAR: Muscle–Body Awareness Relaxation, and it’s designed to help you drop into deeper states of rest and clarity.
PMR, developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson, has been shown in clinical studies to reduce muscle tension, anxiety, and insomnia. Yoga Nidra, often called “yogic sleep,” helps activate theta brain waves (associated with creativity and deep relaxation).
Try this:👉 Follow my guided MBAR session on YouTube
How to do it:
Lie down comfortably and close your eyes.
Bring awareness to your toes, then slowly move up your body.
As you exhale, consciously release tension in each muscle group.
Visualize your body melting into the surface beneath you.
Allow yourself to enter a state between wakefulness and sleep.
When to use it:
Before bedtime, to improve sleep quality
After work, to decompress
Anytime you feel mentally or emotionally drained
Most people report feeling clearer, calmer, and lighter — as if they’ve had hours of rest in just 20 minutes.
Why These Techniques Work
All three practices work by regulating your nervous system and activating the parasympathetic state — your body’s natural healing mode.When practiced regularly, they can:
Reduce stress and anxiety levels
Improve sleep and concentration
Enhance emotional regulation
Strengthen resilience and burnout recovery
These are not quick fixes — they’re daily anchors that help you build the capacity to stay calm under pressure and recover faster when life feels heavy.
The Bigger Picture: Stress, Burnout, and the Need for Support
Burnout isn’t just about overworking — it’s a disconnect between your inner needs and outer reality.Often, our body sends signals (tension, fatigue, overwhelm) long before our mind admits it.
That’s why self-regulation tools like breathwork, meditation, and MBAR are essential — they help you listen to your body before burnout takes over.
But as I’ve seen with my clients, real recovery and prevention often require guidance, reflection, and accountability. That’s where coaching comes in.
Ready to Build Your Stress-Relief Toolkit?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or on the edge of burnout — you don’t have to go through it alone.
📩 Book a free discovery call with me to explore how burnout coaching, stress management techniques, and nervous system regulation practices can help you regain clarity, calm, and balance.
https://calendly.com/lingwellnesscoaching/30min
💡 Connect with me on LinkedIn for more evidence-based insights on burnout recovery, emotional resilience, breathwork, and holistic performance. And subscribe my Youtube channel, where I release guided meditation, breathwork and Imagework for stress relief, better recovery and good night sleep.
Remember:You can’t control every stressor, but you can control how your body and mind respond.And that’s where true power begins. 🧘♀️
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