Bold Experiment — the 2-minute sense-shift practice
Sneak peek — discover your level of body-mind mastery
When I was a full-time People & Culture leader, I regularly found myself in heated Slack conversations with co-workers. Maybe they didn't sense it behind the screen, but I did. You know the type—where you're furiously typing, heart racing, shallow breathing, ready to hit "send"? Yeah, that.
We've all been there. Reactive. Not responsive. But then, I'd pause.
I'd notice the tension in my jaw and shoulders, and this pressure in my chest. The emotions related to the physical sensations.
The quality and speed of thoughts going through my mind. And then, I'd take a few deep breaths, step away from my desk, and come back later with a relaxed body and clear mind. It got me thinking about how our bodies are these incredible emotional compasses in the workplace, yet we tend to hit "send" anyway.
Vagus vibes series—free upcoming workshops alert!
Cultivating Calm for Next-gen Leaders
Leadership isn't a title. It's a lifestyle—a way of being. And somewhere along the way, we lost touch with it. In this 60-minute, workshop, you'll discover how cultivating calm can be your secret to success in all parts of your life (and elevate your career).
Are you a woman who's mastered professional success but still struggles with self-doubt? Join us for an evidence-based 60-minute workshop, you'll learn how to move from stress to self-trust—starting with your nervous system 🫁🫀🦠
How has remote work changed your ability to manage your emotions at work?
What strategies have you developed in your remote workplaces—home, a local coffee shop, a co-working— to support regulated, emotional intelligence?
Unbounded learning of the week — women's emotional intelligence
We've all heard of emotional intelligence. It's nothing new. But, it's rarely looked at through the lens of remote work and our unique biology as women.
Remote work has given us a superpower: the ability to regulate our nervous systems more easily. A must-have when working in high-pressure workplaces.
No more holding it in all day at the office. No more being labeled with a microaggression for being a human.
We have the power to create environments that support an optimal functioning nervous system. Things like:
5-10 minutes of natural sunlight on your face in the morning and afternoon
Adapting your workday to flow with your natural energy rhythms
Adding green to your day—from plants in your office to nature bathing
Adjusting lighting to support focus and relaxation
Now, add in the menstrual cycle. Our emotional intelligence isn't static—it shifts with our menstrual cycle. Research has shown that women's emotional intelligence varies across the menstrual cycle, with heightened sensitivity to emotional cues during the late luteal phase.
This awareness can help us map our natural rhythms for better self-leadership (more on that another day).
Without this next step, we might find ourselves stuck in a dysregulated nervous system state (fight/flight or freeze/shutdown), even if we're aware of it.
The real power comes from:
Shifting your state in real-time
Expanding your window of tolerance
Spotlight from my LOVE list
Speaking of pairing awareness + regulation, I've been obsessed with my Oura Ring lately. It's like having a mini emotional intelligence coach on my finger, tracking my body's signals 24/7.
You can get a 40€ discount with my link. Nothing's in it for me, just paying it forward.
Bold experiment of the week — the sense-shift practice
This simple practice can dramatically boost your ability to self-regulate, especially before important meetings or challenging conversations at work. Here's how to do it: set a timer for 2-3 minutes and:
Observe your surroundings—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.
Close your eyes (if you feel comfortable doing so). Notice your body's state. Energy levels. Tension spots. Relaxation spots. Other physical sensations.
Move to your emotions. Focus on the most intense physical sensation spots, and notice which emotions arise. Name them. Are they pleasant or unpleasant? How intense are they?
Then observe your thoughts—from chaotic to clear, reactive to response, and dense to sparse.
Then, breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of eight through the nose. Focus on lengthening your exhales, activating your vagus nerve to shift into the parasympathetic nervous system.
You'll know when you've regulated your nervous system because you feel a release in the body—likely in your tension zones, breath quality, and thought density.
P.S. Did this resonate with you? Hit reply and let me know. I love hearing your thoughts!
Sneak Peek
"What's my current level of body-mind mastery? Is it holding me back?" I get these questions every week from clients. So, I'm building a free evidence-backed self-assessment to offer you tailored recommendations to reclaim calm, cultivate unshakeable self-trust, and design a life you love.
Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
The Solo Deep Dive: A 2-hour session to reconnect with yourself and gain insight into your nervous system's well-being. Get a clear plan to move forward with 5 days of follow-up support.
Private Coaching: Apply for private coaching to reconnect with your body and find true success. You'll learn how to reclaim your calm, rewire your mind, and design a life you LOVE through body-mind mastery.
People & Culture Advising: Partner to get 10 years of expertise scaling remote startups, creating high-performing, high-compassion cultures, world-class employee experiences, and scalable people operations.
Make calm your cornerstone.
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