What if you woke up tomorrow with zero dread about the day ahead?
No constant racing thoughts, no anxious overthinking—just focus, energy, and actual peace of mind.
You might think it’s impossible, especially if you’re juggling endless Slack notifications, 2am doom-scrolling, and the never-ending to-do list that always multiplies.
But here’s the truth: Stress doesn’t have to run the show.
Meet the “5 Resets" proposed by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar.
Five quick, science-backed moves that switch off your lizard-brain (the amygdala) and bring your calm, strategic thinking back online. Stop trying to be superhuman.
Instead, try these simple resets to clear your head, boost productivity, and reclaim your day.
1. Get Clear on Your “Why” (a.k.a. What Matters MOST)
When you’re stuck in survival mode, your amygdala hijacks everything. You can’t see straight, can’t plan, can’t think long-term. You’re just reacting. So let’s disrupt that loop.
- Aim Small: Define a single, concrete outcome you want to reach in the next 8–12 weeks. Keep it small.
- Check Your Why: Why does this matter now? Answering that gets your prefrontal cortex (the thinking brain) in gear.
- Use the M.O.S.T. Trick: Motivating, Objective, Small, Timely. You’re nailing a bite-sized goal with a clear deadline.
Steal This Move: Grab a sticky note. Write down one micro-goal—like “Walk 10 minutes daily” or “No phone before 9am”—that’ll help you breathe easier.
Stick it on your monitor. No more “What’s the matter with me?”
Start asking, “What matters most to me?”
2. Find Quiet in a Noisy World
Popcorn Brain is real. It’s that compulsion to check your phone 52 times an hour, scrolling mindlessly the second you feel bored. Sound familiar?
- Popcorn Brain → Brain Drain: Even having your phone visible on your desk triggers micro-surges of stress.
- Digital Boundaries:
- Keep phone off your nightstand. Buy a $10 alarm clock.
- Turn on grayscale if you can’t resist “quick checks.”
- No phone within arm’s reach at work. Drawer it.
Action Tip: Before bed, place your phone 10 feet away. Watch how fast your stress level dips when you stop doom-scrolling at 11pm.
3. Sync Your Brain to Your Body
When you’re stressed, you shift into “fight, flight, or freeze.” Your posture slumps, breath shortens, and next thing you know, you’re trapped in overdrive. So flip the switch.
Stop, Breathe, Be: A 3-second reset.
- Stop: Pause for half a beat before opening a door or launching an email.
- Breathe: One big belly inhale, slow exhale.
- Be: Notice your feet on the floor, the air on your face.
Micro-Movements: The antidote to the trap of constant sitting. Five or ten minutes of walking. A quick “desk stretch” sequence. Anything to break up the day.
Why It Works: Deep breathing taps your parasympathetic system and turns down the amygdala’s volume. Movement pumps fresh energy into your system, clearing mental fog.
4. Come Up for Air
Multi-tasking is a myth. Running back-to-back Zoom calls for eight hours straight is a surefire path to meltdown, not productivity.
- The Real Productivity Curve: Picture a bell shape. Too little stress → zero drive. Too much → you break. Stay in the sweet spot by taking micro-breaks.
- No “Fake Breaks”: If a break means flipping over to social media, you’re not letting your brain rest. You’re fueling mental overload.
- 10-Minute Rule: Once or twice a day, do a real break: short walk, stretch, or breathe. Resist the phone. Real downtime = real reset.
Key Move: Step away from your desk for 10 minutes midday. No phone, no Slack, just you unplugged. Watch your focus—and mood—bounce back.
5. Bring Your Best Self Forward
That hyper-critical voice in your head? It’s the amygdala clinging to negativity like Velcro. We’ve all been there. Ruminating, beating ourselves up, mental loop on repeat.
- Gratitude as Armor: A daily 60-second gratitude list rewires your negativity bias into a Teflon shield. Good stuff sticks, bad stuff slides off.
- Check the Self-Talk: When that inner critic flares up, label it: “That’s not me, it’s my stress response.”
- Self-Compassion: You can’t bully your way to calm. Cut yourself slack. Studies show self-compassion physically lowers cortisol.
Today’s Tweak: Write down five wins from the day—big or small. The magic is in the consistency. Over time, your brain’s “circuit board” rewires for positivity.
Ready to Reset?
Look, you can’t control life’s curveballs. But you can control your response. Every one of these Five Resets costs $0 and doesn’t require a single extra minute in your already jam-packed schedule—just a shift in how you use your time.
Remember:
- Even “positive stress” can morph into meltdown if left unchecked.
- You don’t need a five-day spa retreat or a complicated routine.
- Small changes stack up—fast.
Action Plan:
Pick one reset—maybe phone off your nightstand tonight. Try it for a week.
Stack the next. Ten-minute daily walk.
Keep going until you’ve reclaimed the driver’s seat from your amygdala.
That’s it.
The 5 Resets are your blueprint for less stress, sharper thinking, and a daily sense of “I’ve got this.”
Practice them consistently, and watch how quickly your mind and body pivot back to calm and clarity.
Remember: You deserve to thrive, not just survive.
Now go build your unstoppable calm, one small reset at a time.
This post was inspired by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar's book The 5 Resets and her interview with Mel Robbins.
