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Rapid Resets: Simple Tools & Tricks To Calm Down Fast
Our nervous system thrives on simple, consistent care. In our trainings workshops and professional development programs, we teach practical, science-based tools designed to help people calm down quickly during times of stress or overwhelm.
One set of solutions that we frequently mention and use are called Rapid Resets. These are Resources for Resilience™ signature body-based tools designed to help calm the nervous system quickly after being activated or shut down. Each of these simple tools is backed by science, proven to help build resilience in every day life — useful for anyone, anywhere.
The body learns safety through repetition and through small, intentional moments where we pause, breathe and become more present and aware of our self and our space. These micro-moments send powerful signals to the brain: ‘There’s no threat here. It’s safe to soften and slow down.’
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Who Are These Tools For?
Rapid Resets are for ANYONE to use, but they’re specifically beneficial for two groups of people who are prone to chronic stress.
1. Individuals who don’t have access to traditional therapy due to systemic, cultural, economic, generational or personal factors.
- Rural or Underserved Communities
- Low-Income Individuals
- Uninsured or Underinsured Populations
- Non-English Speakers
- Individuals with stigmas against emotional vulnerability or mental health support
- Individuals who simply do not have time or energetic capacity to research, enroll or attend therapy.
2. The selfless heroes and helpers who serve our communities every day in high-stress professions:
- First Responders and Emergency Service Personnel
- Healthcare and Behavioral Health Providers
- Teachers, Educators, Caregivers
- Community Leaders & Public Servants
All of these groups face consistent risk of stress and burnout as they devote their energy to others, or their own wellbeing and safety. These simple tools can help everyone show up for their jobs and families as their best, most balanced self.
When Should the Tools Be Used?
The tools are useful anytime you feel out of your Resilient Zone. If you notice any of the following in your body, it may be a great opportunity to reset and regulate.
- A racing or pounding heartbeat
- Shallow or difficulty breathing
- Tension or pressure in your chest, shoulders, stomach or throat
- Clenched, tight jaw
- Racing thoughts
- Feeling numb or frozen
- Sensitivity to noise or touch
There are many rapid resets, but you don’t need to do them all. Even one or two can gently shift how you move through a stressful day.
What are the 10 Rapid Reset Tools?
Our bodies dictate our stress response, so we can take control of our physical and mental states by moving our bodies in super-simple ways. Use these tools to help yourself or others when life gets tough.
As you use them, make sure to pay special attention to any physical sensations in your body, or shifts in your mental state before, during and after. Do you feel lighter, or more settled?
Some of the Rapid Resets are more passive, while others are active. Choose the best for you based on how much time or space is available to you. In this list we’ve also include helpful adaptations and variations so you can customize them for based on YOUR unique preferences, situation and environment.
We regulate best with others, not alone. When someone’s amped up or shut down, they first need to feel seen, heard, and supported.
CONNECT
When things feel heavy, you don’t have to carry it all alone. As humans, we’re wired for connection and thus not meant to navigate hard moments together.
When a person is anxious, overwhelmed, panicked, or angry, their nervous system is already struggling and in distress. In that state, the brain is scanning for cues to understand, “Am I safe? Am I alone? Is help available?”
The last thing we need is a response from someone that tells us, “Figure it out. You’re on your own. or “You’re too much.” This may only deepen the sense of threat and drive the system further into fight, flight, freeze, or collapse, making regulation even harder.
Co-regulation, feeling safe with another person, is vital to start with before self-regulation. This is what helps bring the system back into balance by communicating “You’re not alone. You’re safe now. You can rest.”
Taking time to talk to or connect with a loved one or another team member especially after a hard moment can help you both process the events of the day and ease yourselves into your time off. It might be as simple as both hearing the same sound, sharing the same rhythm, or breathing together for a few moments. When our systems sync up, the body often softens on its own, without forcing it.
- REFERENCE: Porges, S.
Oxytocin is the brain’s naturally occurring neurotransmitter hormone released through warmth, touch, and movement. It down-regulates the body’s stress responses by telling us to “connect and calm, or tend and befriend” rather than fight, flee, or freeze when we’re out of balance.
SENSE IN
Responding to a call, or feeling amped up? Take a minute to focus your breathing, heart rate, and muscle tension. As you do, pay special attention to any comfortable physical sensations or mental shifts that you might notice in your body, moving from your feet up to your head. Ask yourself, “Where do I feel most at-ease, or neutral, in my body right now?”
The simple act of noticing– being a witness to oneself helps us get out of our “thought spirals” and experience our body and emotions without being overwhelmed by them.
GROUND
Feeling shaky or unsettled? Lean, stand, or sit on something solid. Notice the feelings of support when your feet, legs, back, or hands touch against surfaces for an extended period. Try softening and sinking into those surfaces. Focus on the physical sensations in your body, moving from your feet up to your head. How does your body connect to your surroundings? Reminder: You don’t have to hold yourself up. You’re here, you’re safe and being held by the earth and gravity.
- BONUS: Touch something soft, smooth or another version of your favorite texture. Even better if it’s a pet!
- VARIATION: Lying down on the floor can be especially relaxing and stabilizing. You can lie face down, or on your back–whatever is most comfortable for you.
ORIENT
Look around and take note of anything pleasing that catches your eye or ear. Perhaps it’s something small in your space you have never noticed before. Be sure to rotate/ turn your head and neck and, as you do, pay attention to any comfortable physical feelings you notice in your body as you scan your surroundings and shift your focus between close and distant objects.
- BONUS: Make it a game by choosing your favorite color or shape to look for in the space.
TAKE A SIP
Pick up the container of a beverage. Notice the weight, texture and temperature of it. Take a sip. Focus on how the liquid feels in your mouth and throat – its temperature, its flavor, and texture. Notice the subtle physical sensations you experience as it travels down to your stomach.
- BONUS For a calming, soothing sensory experience, drink something warm like lemon water or herbal tea.
- REFERENCES: Quinlan, P.
SING OR HUM
Simple vocalizations can help calm the nervous system because it stimulates the vagus nerve. Try singing, whistling or humming on the way to your urgent calls or stressful meetings. Be sure to notice the sensations in your face and mouth, and pay attention to any vibrations in your chest. Close your eyes, and try to let go of any worries about how “silly” you may sound or look.
- VARIATION: Want to reset AND connect at the same time? Try singing or chanting in unison with a group of peopleThere is so much benefit in this type of co-regulation.
- REFERENCES: Fancourt, D.
TAP SIDE-TO-SIDE
‘The Butterfly Hug’ is a simple tool for finding a sense of safety in the body and a calm mind through ‘bilateral stimulation.’
Cross your arms and gently tap alternating sides of the body, typically the shoulders or upper arms in a rhythmic pattern. By stimulating both sides of the brain simultaneously, it can promote a state of relaxation to put your mind and body at ease. Tap at whatever speed that feels comfortable to you – some prefer fast, and some find more calm with slow.
- BONUS: Try incorporating swaying or gentle rocking as you tap.
- VARIATION: Wanting to be more discrete? Tap on your lap or the tops of your knees, or simply hold your hand on your chest.
- REFERENCE: Stearns, S.| Artigas, L.
TAKE A WALK
Just finished a tough shift? Go for a walk, however time or distance works for your schedule. Focus on how your feet hit the ground, and how the muscles in your legs move, stretch, or flex. You may also notice changes in your breathing, heart rate, and muscle tension as you de-stress.
- BONUS: Walking outdoors with sunlight and fresh air will have added health benefits. You can even ground barefoot in nature!
- VARIATION: No where to go? March in place, either standing or in a chair.
- REFERENCE: Teut, M
DO SOME HEAVY WORK
Feeling amped up after a tough few calls or meetings? We already know that exercise is a huge stress-reliever, but that option is not always available during a busy day. Instead, explore other activities that engage the big muscles in your arms, legs and back: pushing, pulling, lifting, digging, or sweeping. Notice the weight and pressure sensations in your body.
- VARIATION: Want to double your health benefits, and your productivity? Gardening, landscaping, moving furniture, or deep cleaning all count as heavy work!
PUSH AGAINST A WALL
Use your big muscles to push against a wall. Feel the pressure and strength in your arms, legs, and back.
- VARIATION: Don’t have a wall to use? Try simply pulling up from the bottom of a seat as you sit in a chair.
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Regulate Together
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Feel Within
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Be Held
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Look Around
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Savor Flavor
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Vocalize It
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Tap to Reset
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Walk it Out
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Channel Your Power
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Press into Calm
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Pairing Rapid Reset Tools
While each of these tools are effective on their own, we love pairing them up for the ultimate impact. Below are some of our favorite combinations, and videos to show how to use them in real-time.
Additional Resources
Want more? Check out the videos below, developed in partnership with Edutopia, to see how simple and easy-to-use these tools really are, especially for educators and caregivers.
Simple Tools. Powerful Results
Think of these self-regulation tools like ingredients for recipes. You can mix and match what feels good depending on the mood or occasion. Whether it’s a morning boost, a midday reset, or a calm evening winddown, these small practices help you shift your nervous system from a state of stress and tension, to one of safety and balance.
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To learn about these tools and others, consider joining or booking one of our signature trainings and workshops. We look forward to seeing you soon!
