Midday Self Check-In Recipe (Seated Reset) (2–4 minutes)

This recipe helps you interrupt the “keep pushing” pattern midday—so you can come back to your body, notice what you need, and prevent overwhelm from stacking.

Disclaimer:
This recipe is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice, mental health treatment, diagnosis, therapy, or a substitute for professional care. Emotional embodiment practices may bring up strong feelings, memories, sensations, and/or physical reactions. You are voluntarily participating and are solely responsible for your own emotional, physical, and medical safety, decisions, and actions. Go at your own pace. Stop at any time. Take breaks when needed. If you feel overwhelmed, pause and ground yourself: feel your feet on the floor, place a hand on your heart, and breathe slowly. These practices are intended to help you move emotion through your body—not to reenact harm and not to discharge emotions onto others. Always listen to your body first. If you are in crisis or at risk of harming yourself or others, stop and seek immediate help in your area. READ FULL DISCLAIMER BEFORE YOU START IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY

Use this when
Sometime between late morning and afternoon—when you notice irritability, rushing, brain fog, doom-scrolling, snacking without hunger, or that “I can’t handle one more thing” feeling.

Ingredients

• 2–4 minutes (even 60 seconds helps)

• A chair/sofa/parked car seat (any seated spot)

• Feet on the floor + one hand on heart (or belly)

• Optional: a sip of water

Safety
If you feel flooded, keep your eyes open and orient to the room (name 3 colors/shapes/sounds). If you’re in a public place, make it smaller: just feet on floor + long exhales.

Opening: Seat + Support
Sit down and let the chair hold you.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Take one slow exhale and say: “Pause.”

The 3-Step Experiment

Step 1: Name it (30–60 seconds)
“Right now I feel ________.”
“My body is giving me this signal: ________.”
“The story in my head is ________.”

Step 2: Regulate (60–90 seconds)
Do 3 rounds of this:
Inhale gently.
Exhale longer than the inhale.
On the exhale, drop your shoulders and soften your jaw.

Optional (choose one):

• Press your feet into the floor for 5 seconds, then release.

• Put a hand on your chest and feel your breath move under your palm.

Step 3: Choose one next right thing (30–60 seconds)
Finish one sentence:
“The next right thing is ________.”
Examples: “Drink water.” “Text for support.” “Eat something real.” “Go outside for 60 seconds.” “Do one task only.” “Repair after that moment.”

Closing: Back to the day (but softer)
Say: “I can take one step at a time.”
Take one final slow exhale.

Nurture and Integrate
If you can, do one small connection boost today: a 60-second stretch, step outside, or send a kind message to someone safe. Over the next week, notice if you recover faster when stress rises.

Affirmation (Optional)
Choose one:
“I can pause in the middle.”
“My needs matter too.”
“One step. One breath. One choice.”

Want to go deeper?
If you’re still activated, follow with a Cooling or Doorway Overwhelm Recipe. If emotion is stuck, choose an Emotional Release Waves recipe.

Peace & Love, Julie
Emotional Release - The Missing Peace