Healing Your Nervous System After burnout

Burnout hit me like a brick wall, though I didn’t see it coming until I was already underwater. It wasn’t just exhaustion; it was a full-body shutdown. My mind was foggy, I had zero energy, my ability to cope with even small stresses completely shot. The world felt overwhelming, and no amount of rest seemed to recharge me.

At the time, I thought I just needed a break. But as weeks stretched into months, it became clear that this wasn’t just about being tired it was about my nervous system being stuck in survival mode. I was living in a constant state of fight-or-flight, my body bracing against a threat that no longer existed. Even when I went back to work I remember one day out walking in the park past a wood chipper and ifelt this intense fear, both from the noise of it but also I could just see what would happen if I fell into it. Obviously this wouldn’t happen but my body went into full panic. I’ve kept noticing this even now, almost 2 years on where my mind and body are so strongly aware of risks and danger and reacting to it intensely like a dog coming too close (I’ve been bitten a couple of times), falling off a cliff when hiking or even just tripping when out walking.

What Burnout Does to Your Nervous System

In The Body Keeps the Score (see related book review post for more information), Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains how trauma whether from acute stress or prolonged burnout rewires the brain and body. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates stress responses, has two key branches:

• The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): This is our fight-or-flight mode. It keeps us alert and ready for action, but in burnout, it stays switched on far too long, leading to anxiety, insomnia, and chronic tension.

• The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): This is the rest-and-digest state. It helps us recover, digest food properly, and feel safe. Activating this system is essential for healing from burnout.

At the heart of the parasympathetic system is the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body. It acts like a communication superhighway between the brain and vital organs, sending signals of safety and calm. Note though that this mainly sends signals from body to brain so the key to recovery is through the body, not the mind. When overworked, the vagus nerve can become dysregulated, making it harder for the body to switch out of stress mode. Reawakening it is key to nervous system recovery.

For me, this has become the focus, not just resting, but actively training my nervous system to feel safe again whilst learning to listen to my body. I’m currently trying a bit of everything to see what work and sharing some of it here. The key though is really tuning into your body, noticing, feeling and listening to what it needs. It’s not always possible to avoid all stressors or rest when we need it but hopefully by taking some of the steps below we can help soothe our nervous systems.

Rewiring for Recovery: My Daily Practices

I was privileged enough and have a simple life with no dependents which has enabled me to quit my job and take time out but I’m very aware that this is not possible for most. With that in mind, the below are practises that can be incorporated into daily life for just a few minutes or whatever you have available to you. I have experimented with these small shifts and gentle movements, breathing techniques, and mindfulness exercises to see what actually helped me feel safe in my body again. Here’s what made a difference:

1. Breathwork: Activating the Vagus Nerve

Breathing is one of the fastest ways to activate the vagus nerve and shift into parasympathetic mode. I started practicing:

• Extended exhales (inhale for four counts, exhale for eight) to cue relaxation.

• Box breathing (inhale-hold-exhale-hold for four counts each) when anxiety hit.

• Physiological sigh (two sharp inhales in quick succession and long exhale) every morning for 5 minutes.

• Humming, sighing, or chanting (such as in yoga’s Om sound), which directly stimulates the vagus nerve.

At first, this felt forced (and to be honest a bit boring to do for 5 minutes). But within weeks, I’ve noticed I can slow my breath instinctively when stress creps in and doing it daily first thing has helped set me up right for the day.

2. Yoga & Stretching: Releasing Stored Tension

Burnout left my body feeling stiff and tight, like I was constantly bracing for impact. I turned to gentle yoga and stretching to calm the body and activate the vagus nerve, focusing on:

• Child’s pose to release my lower back and signal safety.

• Legs-up-the-wall for instant calm when I felt overwhelmed.

• Twists and forward folds, which stimulate the vagus nerve and help release tension in the spine. Try holding your hands on the sides of your ribs and breathing outwards into them for a few breaths. Continue this outwards breathing during a side stretch either seated or standing.

• Eye and neck stretches are proven to signal safety to the body. Looking as far as you can to one direction whilst keeping your head facing forward for around 30seconds or until your yawn signalling parasympathetic nervous system activation then repeating on the other side. This can also be combined with a neck stretch moving your eyes to one side and then tilting your head with your equivalent ear towards your shoulder so that you’re now looking downwards then repeat on the other side.

Instead of pushing through aggressive workouts, I learned to listen to my body’s signals and that in itself was healing. It’s key not to rush into any heavy workouts whilst your nervous system is adjusting so stick to walking, yoga and gentle movement at the start and then built in cardio and strength when your body feels ready (women - also listen to your cycle here and keep the heavy work during the first two weeks).

3. Grounding: Reconnecting with My Senses

I spent so much time in my head that I had to relearn how to feel safe in my body. These small grounding practices helped:

• Walking barefoot outside, letting my feet reconnect with the earth.

• Holding a warm cup of tea, focusing on the sensation in my hands.

• Self-massage around the neck and jaw, where the vagus nerve passes through, to promote relaxation.

• Time in nature daily listening to the sounds and engaging with the greenery which has been proven to enhance mood

• Stroking something soft. I’m very tactile and my nervous system responds well to touch so when I was at my worst what really helped was stroking a stuffed animal. If you have a pet that works even better but use whatever you have at hand.

4. Pressure points: Connecting body and mind

I’ve found that acupressure point tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) and butterfly tapping (linked to EMDR where you gently tap on alternative sides of your collarbones with your hands across each other like butterflies) has been hugely useful in order to ground my body:

• Tapping with The Tapping Solution app when I feel anxious or in need of a reset

• Butterfly tapping each morning whilst staring positive affirmations. I’ve just combined two things here which feels good for me but there’s no real evidence that this is useful but I my see why not. I’ve picked affirmations like ‘I am safe in my own body’.

Each practice reminded my body that I was safe, here, now.

5. Cold Exposure: A Quick Reset

Cold therapy is a well-known way to strengthen vagal tone (the health of the vagus nerve). Be careful with this though - it’s not something to be used when your nervous system is shot so don’t start with this. Women - also do not try this during the latter 2 weeks of your cycle when your stress hormones are higher.

When my nervous system felt more stable I started incorporating:

• Splashing cold water on my face in the morning for an instant reset.

• Ending my showers with 30 seconds of cold water (it was rough at first, but now I crave it!).

• Dipping my feet into cold water, a gentle way to get the benefits without full immersion.

• I’m also going to start adding regular sauna and cold plunge soon as I’ve found a local place in south London for this.

This has helped my body learn to tolerate stress and recover more quickly.

The Long Game of Nervous System Healing

Healing isn’t linear. Some days, I felt like I was making progress; other days, the exhaustion and anxiety crept back in. But over time, I have noticed subtle shifts. I wake up feeling more rested. I handle stress without spiraling. I’ve started to trust my body again.

If you’re in the depths of burnout, know this: your nervous system can heal. Not overnight, not with a quick fix but through daily, gentle reminders of safety. Experiment. Find what soothes your system. And most importantly, be patient with yourself.

I hope this post has been useful! Please do subscribe on the main page to follow along on the journey.

Here are links to resources I’ve found helpful during this journey:

• The Tapping Solution: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/

• Heal your nervous system book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heal-Your-Nervous-System-Dysregulation/dp/0760385653

• Regulating nervous system yoga with Adriane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4-7XX2AhAs

• The Body Keeps the Score book: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score