A 15-Minute Nervous System Reset
A movement-based reset inspired by The Meltdown Workshop by Alchemy & Co.
Burnout doesn’t always shout, sometimes it simmers. A tight jaw, shallow breath, shoulders tense, foggy brain, or a growing sense of “I just can’t today.” If you’ve felt any of that lately, here’s a powerful 15-minute guided break to melt the pressure and come back to yourself.
This isn’t about fixing. It’s about feeling, and letting go.
🕐 Total Time: 15 Minutes
No mat, equipment, or flexibility required. Just a safe space where you can move, shake, and breathe.
Minute 0–2: Land
Stand or sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Notice your breath.
Ask yourself quietly:
How does my body feel today? What’s alive in me?
No judgment. Just notice. Feel your feet. Soften your jaw.
Let your shoulders drop, even if only a little.
Take 3 deep breaths in through your nose, and sigh them out audibly.
Minute 2–5: Shake It Off (Literally)
Start shaking out your wrists. Then your arms. Your shoulders.
Let it travel through your chest, hips, legs, feet.
Let your head move gently side to side if that feels okay.
This is your burnout discharge moment.
Shake with rhythm, or messily. Let your breath be free.
Think of it as stress evaporating through movement.
Optional: Set a 2-minute upbeat song and shake to the beat.
It might feel silly at first. That’s part of the medicine.
Minute 5–8: The “Meltdown” Drop
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Knees soft.
Let your body melt forward from the waist - like a slow-motion collapse.
Arms hang heavy. Neck releases. Sway gently.
Now slowly roll up, vertebra by vertebra, until you’re standing.
Do this 3 times, each time slower than before.
Feel the weight leave your head, shoulders, chest.
Imagine you’re letting go of anything that’s not yours to carry.
Minute 8–11: Sound and Breath Release
Place one hand on your chest, one on your belly.
Inhale deeply through the nose. Exhale with sound - a sigh, hum, or soft “ahhh.”
Repeat for 3 minutes.
Sound helps move stuck emotion. Breath helps reset your nervous system.
If tears come, let them. If laughter bubbles up, follow it.
Minute 11–13: Stillness and Presence
Stand or sit in silence. Feel the echo of your movement.
Notice your heartbeat. The air on your skin. The space around you.
Whisper to yourself: “I am here. I am allowed to pause.”
Feel what’s changed.
Minute 13–15: Choose One Word
With your eyes closed, ask yourself:
What do I need right now? What’s one word I want to carry into the rest of my day?
Breathe that word in. Let it land in your body.
Say it out loud or write it down.
You Did It.
This wasn’t a break from your body, it was a return to it.
Take one last deep breath and step back into your day with less tension, more truth, and a reminder:
You’re not a machine. You’re a living, feeling being, and you just gave yourself care in motion.
