4 Nervous System Practices for Emotional Burnout (That Actually Work)
You're doing everything "right."
The 10,000 steps. The supplements. The 8 hours of sleep. Maybe even the morning meditation.
And yet... you're still exhausted.
Not the kind of tired that a weekend fixes. The kind that lives in your bones. Where even replying to a text feels like climbing Everest.
If this sounds familiar, you're not dealing with laziness. You're dealing with emotional burnout and no amount of green smoothies or gym sessions will fix it.
Emotional burnout is what happens when your nervous system has been running on fumes for so long that it starts shutting down to protect you. Your window of tolerance shrinks. Small stressors feel massive. And rest doesn't actually restore you anymore.
The good news? Your nervous system wants to heal. It's just been waiting for you to create the conditions for it.
Here are four practices that signal safety to your body, help discharge stored stress, and actually address the root of emotional depletion.
1. The Depletion Breath (When You're Running on Empty)
This breathwork pattern signals to your nervous system that it's safe to rest. The extended exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system—your body's "rest and digest" mode—telling your system it can finally let go.
How to do it:
Find a comfortable seated or lying position
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly
Inhale gently through your nose for a count of 4
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6-8 (the longer exhale is key)
As you exhale, imagine releasing tension, heaviness, or anything you've been holding
Repeat for 3-5 minutes
When to use it:
Before bed, when you feel overwhelmed, or when rest feels impossible but you desperately need it.
Pro tip: If counting feels stressful, just focus on making your exhale longer than your inhale. Your body will respond.
2. Somatic Check-In Practice (To Reconnect With Your Body)
Emotional burnout often disconnects us from our bodies. We live in our heads, thinking our way through life while ignoring what our body is screaming at us. This practice brings you back into embodied awareness.
How to do it:
Set a timer for 2 minutes
Close your eyes and place both hands on your heart
Ask yourself: "What does my body need right now?"
Don't think, just notice. Maybe it's a stretch, a sigh, a cry, stillness, movement, water, warmth
Honor whatever comes up without judgment
When to use it:
Daily, especially when you're stuck in your head or going through the motions on autopilot.
What you might notice: Sometimes your body just needs permission to sigh deeply. Sometimes it needs to cry. Sometimes it needs to move. Trust what emerges.
3. The Permission Slip Practice (To Release Guilt Around Rest)
Often we know we need rest, but we feel too guilty to take it. We've internalized the belief that rest is earned, that we should always be doing more, that slowing down is selfish.
This tapping sequence helps release that block so you can actually receive the rest your body is begging for.
EFT Tapping Sequence:
Setup Round (tap on the side of your hand - karate chop point):
Say these statements out loud while tapping:
"Even though I feel so guilty for resting, I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though I believe I should always be doing more, I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though rest feels selfish and I feel like I'm letting people down, I deeply and completely accept myself."
Round 1 - Acknowledgment (tap through each point):
Start at the top of head and work through: eyebrow, side of eye, under eye, under nose, chin, collarbone, under arm, back to top of head.
Top of head: "This guilt around resting"
Eyebrow: "This belief that I should be doing more"
Side of eye: "This exhaustion I've been carrying"
Under eye: "All this pressure to keep going"
Under nose: "This feeling that I'm not doing enough"
Chin: "I'm so tired but I feel guilty stopping"
Collarbone: "This belief that rest is lazy"
Under arm: "All these expectations I'm carrying"
Top of head: "This deep, deep exhaustion"
Round 2 - Transition (tap through each point):
Top of head: "But what if I'm allowed to be tired?"
Eyebrow: "What if my body is asking for help?"
Side of eye: "Maybe rest isn't the enemy"
Under eye: "Maybe I can't pour from an empty cup"
Under nose: "What if slowing down is brave?"
Chin: "I'm starting to give myself permission"
Collarbone: "Maybe I deserve to rest"
Under arm: "Even if nothing is 'done'"
Top of head: "I'm beginning to listen to my body"
Round 3 - Integration (tap through each point):
Top of head: "I choose to honor what my body needs"
Eyebrow: "Rest is not a reward—it's a necessity"
Side of eye: "I'm allowed to be tired"
Under eye: "My body has been asking me to slow down"
Under nose: "And I'm finally ready to listen"
Chin: "I release this guilt around resting"
Collarbone: "I trust my body knows what it needs"
Under arm: "I choose rest without apology"
Top of head: "I am safe to let go"
Optional Round 4 - Deepening (if you want to go further):
Top of head: "My worth is not tied to my productivity"
Eyebrow: "I am enough, even when I'm resting"
Side of eye: "My body deserves care and compassion"
Under eye: "I choose to be gentle with myself"
Under nose: "Rest is how I replenish"
Chin: "I release the need to earn my rest"
Collarbone: "I am safe in stillness"
Under arm: "My body is my home, and I'm coming back"
Top of head: "I deeply and completely accept myself"
When to use it:
When guilt creeps in, or when you're stuck in the "I should be..." spiral.
Note: If you're new to tapping, don't worry about getting it "perfect." The combination of the physical tapping + the emotional acknowledgment is what creates the shift.
4. Nervous System Safety Anchors (Throughout Your Day)
Small moments of regulation compound over time. You don't need to overhaul your entire life—you just need to sprinkle micro-practices throughout your day that remind your nervous system it's safe.
Try these micro-practices:
Morning: Before reaching for your phone, take 3 deep belly breaths and say: "I am safe to move through today at my own pace."
This sets the tone for your nervous system before the day's demands flood in.
Midday: Set a timer to pause every 2 hours. Stand up, shake out your arms and legs for 30 seconds.
This physically discharges stress hormones and prevents them from building up in your system.
Evening: Splash cold water on your face or hum while you make dinner.
Both activate the vagus nerve (the main nerve of your parasympathetic nervous system) and shift you toward rest-and-digest mode.
When to use it:
Every single day. These aren't "emergency" practices—they're preventative maintenance for your nervous system.
The Truth About Recovery
You didn't burn out overnight, and you won't recover overnight.
But here's what I know after a decade of this work: your nervous system wants to heal. It's just been waiting for you to create the conditions for it.
Emotional burnout isn't a life sentence. It's your body's way of saying, "I need you to stop abandoning me. I need you to slow down. I need you to come home."
These practices are your way home.
Start with one. Maybe it's the depletion breath tonight before bed. Maybe it's the somatic check-in tomorrow morning. Maybe it's giving yourself permission to rest without guilt.
You don't need to do them all perfectly. You just need to start listening.
Your body has been trying to tell you something. Are you ready to hear it?
Want support with this work? If you're ready to go deeper, to finally address the exhaustion that rest can't fix, I hold 1:1 space for women navigating emotional burnout. Book a free clarity call here and let's talk about what your nervous system is asking for.
Save this post. Come back to it. Share it with someone who needs to hear that their exhaustion isn't their fault. And most importantly actually practice these. Your nervous system is waiting.