BONUS SEASON: Build Your Take-Anywhere Somatic Toolkit

Our bodies have to calm down before our thoughts can follow — and this is the step most of us skip. In this second episode of our special bonus season, hosts Dr Michelle McQuaid and Evie Wright share practical body-based tools you can use anywhere, anytime: in meetings, during difficult conversations, or mid-presentation (without anyone noticing). With guest insights from somatic expert Nahid de Belgeonne, author of Soothed, learn how to think of your nervous system as an inner toddler that needs our compassion and care — not criticism.

00:03 Michelle and Evie welcome listeners back and recap last episode's core insight: our brain is constantly asking "am I safe enough?" — and our nervous system responds accordingly.

05:36 Why trying to "think your way calm" doesn't work — when we're in our protection circuit, we have less blood and oxygen in the thinking part of our brain, so we need to soothe our body first.

09:53 Nahid de Belgeonne introduces the powerful reframe: think of your nervous system as an inner toddler that needs to be soothed, not told to "get a grip."

11:47 Tool one: breath awareness — Nahid explains how breathe can act like "a remote control to the brain" and Evie guides listeners through a simple breath practice.

18:57 Tool two: oscillation — Michelle shares Nahid's jiggling techniques, from subtle toe and finger movements you can do in meetings to full arm oscillations that release shoulder tension.

24:48 Tool three: shaking it out — Evie leads a full-body shake, explaining how it releases the stuck energy our body holds when we're primed for action but don't actually need to fight or flee.

29:48 Nahid on why "ambition has no place in this practice" — learning by getting things wrong, staying curious rather than performative, and giving your nervous system new possibilities.

32:42 Building proactive practice — why practising these tools when you're already in the green zone helps them feel more natural when you tip off the wobble board.

Want to go deeper? Grab your free somatic nudge playsheets and videos and check out our Nervous System Advantage mini-masterclass at www.michellemcquaid.com.