// FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I remember five years ago when I shared that I was running workshops for "nervous system regulation" and people were like 'wait, what now?'

And since then nervous system protocols have become the trendy new thing, and it's amazing to see awareness spread into mainstream culture.

There's a new frame that I've been exploring lately, and though it's a clunky word, I think the best way to describe it is 'unclenching'.

Picture the moment right before stepping into a cold shower, but instead of bracing against the icy water... you unclench, and it's not as bad as you expected (perhaps even enjoyable).

This exact same move can apply to the rest of life, and I believe it's a helpful and practical lens to explore. I'm in the process of finalising a long-form essay on this topic that I hope to publish in the coming weeks and will also be hosting a workshop on this (see below).

If you have unclenching-related thoughts yourself, please do reply and share!

// A MONTH OF LEARNING

Join our Free Workshops this September

Throughout September, I'll be hosting three workshops to explore ideas at the edge of my thinking, meet other curious humans and help you design practical experiments to take into your life.

In the past these have reached capacity so I'd recommend registering early to avoid disappointment.

Free and open to the public, our upcoming workshops include:

• Staying Human in the Age of AI: Nervous System Regulation for a New Era ~ Friday 11th September. RSVP​
• The Unclenching Hypothesis: Practical Tools to "Unclench" Your Nervous System ~ Thursday 16th September. RSVP​
• NSM 101: An Introduction to Nervous System Mastery ~ Friday 25th September. RSVP​

// PODCAST APPEARANCE

How to Be Less Triggered

I sat down with Dave Asprey in Austin for a wide-ranging conversation about nervous system mastery, grief, high performance, and what it takes to become less reactive.

The conversation also traces the origins of my latest thinking on “unclenching”: how freediving taught me to notice unnecessary tension, release his resistance to pressure, and access greater depth with less effort.

"You can take the right supplements, fast, do hot, cold, red light, all the "stuff". But if your nervous system is all over the place, you’re doing it wrong.” — Dave Asprey, The Human Upgrade

In this episode, you can expect to learn:

• Why many high performers become disconnected from what is happening below the neck
• How to measure progress through the “half-life of reactivity”—the time it takes to return to yourself after being triggered
• Why congruence between your inner state and outward behaviour matters more than simply appearing calm
• How community and co-regulation can change the way we move through grief

Curious to explore unclenching in practice? One of the workshops in our free series will be on the unclenching thesis. Join the unclenching workshop.

// RUN THIS EXPERIMENT

Unclench Yourself Explore areas holding tension – perhaps your face, shoulders, throat, or belly – invite it to soften by just 5%.

Why: Clenching can become so habitual that we stop noticing it. Deliberately moving between contraction and release makes the contrast easier to feel, and can reveal subtle bracing in the body.

How:

1. Step one: Make a tight fist. Hold it briefly, then open your hand and notice the difference. Repeat.
2. Step two: Soften your gaze, and hold your hands at the edges of your peripheral vision. Slowly move them backwards until they disappear from view. Repeat.
3. Step three: Let your lower jaw drop slightly so your teeth are no longer touching. Notice whether anything else softens.

Tip: Notice any spontaneous sigh, yawn, swallow, deeper breath, or shift in posture. These are great signs that your nervous system is unclenching and down-regulating.

// ET CETERA

Explore: A final call to join our final Rewire Anxiety Challenge of the year. 200+ curious humans begin the 15-day challenge this Tuesday. Join Us.

Pilgrim: Fancy a 10-day pilgrimage in Japan? NSM alum and unfoldment coach Drew Smith is guiding 8 people on a unique, soulful adventure this November. Explore.

Listen: I felt personally called out by this recent episode on the self-reliance pattern from the Art of Accomplishment. It's juicy and likely uncomfortable to listen to in the best possible way. Listen.

// DIVE DEEPER

Free Nervous System Self-Assessment ​Get Your Score →​

Try Our Protocol Cards ​Downshift →​

Rewire Your Anxiety in 15 Days ​Try the iOS app →​