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Audrey O’Connor’s 12 ways to soothe an overstimulated nervous system
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Audrey O’Connor, founder of CORE STATE, guides women toward quiet, intuitive wellness through Pilates, sound baths and restorative practices designed to support hormonal balance and emotional release. Using the Samsung Galaxy Ring to decode sleep, recovery, stress and cycle patterns, she transforms biometric insights into meaningful rituals. Here, she shares 12 ways to soothe an overstimulated nervous system.
Modern life is overstimulating by default, even when it looks calm from the outside. I have burned out a few times in my life, and it taught me something important: your nervous system doesn’t need big, dramatic interventions; it needs small, clever rituals done consistently. The kind of things you try once and think, “Why did no one tell me this sooner?”
These are the practices that keep me grounded and out of the burnout cycle. Simple shifts that won’t break the bank but make a real difference.
1. Meditation before coffee (non-negotiable)
I meditate before caffeine, a full ten minutes every morning. It’s a simple habit stack inspired by James Clear. I anchor something grounding to something I already do every day. Starting this way keeps me from launching into the morning in a cortisol spike and gives my whole system a calmer baseline to work from.
2. A savoury breakfast (glucose goddess energy)
I swapped sweet breakfasts for savoury ones, and my nervous system thanked me for it. Eggs, greens, avocado, anything that keeps my blood sugar steady. My whole day feels more balanced when I start this way, and I treat myself to a sweet treat with my tea at 11am.
3. A walk every single morning – hail, rain or snow
I walk outside daily, no matter the weather. I have invested in proper rain gear, so I have no excuses. Sometimes I keep it sensory, noticing the light, the air, cute doggos, the sounds and other days I’ll listen to a podcast that feels grounding rather than stimulating. Light, movement and fresh air every day is the most regulating thing I do.
4. No coffee after 1pm
My cut-off is strict. Anything after 1pm goes straight to my nervous system. I swap it for ginger, turmeric, lemon, and honey tea, which is warm, grounding, and great for digestion. I make ginger cubes in advance (grated fresh ginger and turmeric blended with lemon juice and honey), freeze them, and pop one into hot water. It makes the whole ritual effortless.
5. No phone for the first 30 minutes of my day
I like to give myself a quiet half-hour before I check my phone every morning. No notifications, no scrolling, just a slow, gentle start to my day. It lets my nervous system wake up in its own time, without everyone else’s thoughts or energy rushing in. Those first minutes feel like they belong to me, and it’s the calmest way to begin the day.
6. Ayurvedic stomach massage for gut–brain calm
When I’m stressed, I feel it in my gut, I bloat, I tighten, and everything feels inflamed. A slow, clockwise stomach massage in the evening supports digestion and instantly softens my whole system. In Ayurveda, it helps calm Vata, which is the airy, jumpy, easily overstimulated part of the body that often shows up as anxiety or digestive issues. Warm, slow, grounding rituals bring it back into balance. If you’re curious, it’s worth looking up your Ayurvedic digestion type; it helped me understand why stress hits my stomach first and what actually soothes it.
7. A five-step night routine in bed
Instead of rushing to take off my make-up, I do a slow, five-step, five-minute face routine in bed. Lymphatic drainage with my favourite oils, no fancy equipment, just gentle strokes and my knuckles. It winds me down and signals to my body that the day is done. I always sleep better when I take my time.
8. A sound bath before sleep
A short 10-minute sound bath at night drops me straight out of my head and into my body. I pop on my headphones and eye pillow, and it’s like my whole system exhales. It is the quickest, most reliable nervous system shift I know.
9. Breathwork to bring my system down
When I feel overstimulated, I go straight to breathwork like slow nasal breathing, long deep exhales, nothing dramatic and always depth over force. Two minutes can change my whole internal landscape before a meeting, a social event, or when I feel a little hormonal.
10. Breaking the habit of rushing
I used to rush everywhere, to get ready, to finish tasks, to squeeze more into the day. Now I move at a more steady, grounded pace. If I catch myself rushing, I pause and reset. I can move fast when it’s necessary, but it’s no longer my default. My whole system is calmer because of it.
11. Saying no earlier and without guilt
I try not to wait until I am overwhelmed to say no. I listen for that first little gut feeling, the subtle shift in my body that says, ” This doesn’t feel right for me right now.” My go-to response is simple: “I can’t this time, but thank you for thinking of me.” No explanations, no extra layers, and it feels like honouring my nervous system in real time.
12. Tracking my cycle to understand my energy
I track my menstrual cycle so I know when my nervous system is naturally more sensitive. Some phases make me more reactive, bloated, or easily overstimulated, and knowing that helps me plan for gentler days. It’s not about perfection; it is just understanding my own body’s rhythms so I can work with my body instead of against it.
With the Samsung Galaxy Ring, your everyday movements go much further. Using the power of Galaxy AI, you can improve by analysing your wellness habits, sleep quality and heart rate to build a comprehensive picture of your wellness. Over the coming months, Audrey will be trialling the Samsung Galaxy Ring and sharing her wellness journey on IMAGE.ie.
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