We live in a chronically overstimulated world. For many of us, it is important to focus on creating time to decompress from the day in order to avoid burnout.

Often many of us are so exhausted by the end of the day, we will just collapse. If we can take a few moments to consciously decompress, we allow our nervous system a chance to complete the stress cycle and reset.

Some decompression practices include:

• Laying on the floor in silence and extending the exhales
• Soaking in the bathtub with dim lighting
• Stretching or a doing gentle yoga practice
• Going on a quiet walk
• Journaling or free writing
• Listening to a guided meditation
• Standing outside and taking 5 breaths

Not allowing the nervous system time to decompress would be the same as eating nonstop every day - our bodies wouldn’t have time to effectively filter out toxins vs. nutrients.

These decompression practices can happen during transitions throughout the day or as a conscious way to unwind in the evening.

Whatever you choose, start small.

Try to do something for just 2 minutes a day. Every week, add slowly to those practices and over time it will make a big impact on our stress and resilience.

For more trauma tips and tools, join my newsletter for free weekly resources by clicking here!

My Ethics of Trauma Informed Care virtual training is Friday, April 29th from 9-11 EST. Participants have lifetime access to the recording so you do not have to attend live to receive the 2 Ethics CEs!

For more information and to reserve your spot, click here.​

As a therapist, managing my own dance with burnout is one of the most important things I can do to remain trauma-informed in my work with clients. If I am burned out, I can not provide the most quality care and space holding. 

When people are depleted and burned out, it can be hard to focus, our memory can get impacted and our ability to be tuned into our body's needs can become more difficult. 

One of my favorite ways to manage my burnout is to have sensory items around me during sessions with my clients. Having sensory objects to hold, see, stand on or place upon my body can help me stay attuned and focused during a session. 

Sensory tools can help us “keep our lids on”, regulate our vagus nerve and manage our energy so that we do not take on the pain of others. 

There are so many forms of burnout and I believe these tools can help all forms of burnout (professional, parental, caregiver, etc.) be managed more effectively. 

My favorite sensory tools include: 

• Having a weighted object in my lap (weighted blanket, hot water bottle, etc.)
• Tokens (crystals, candles, flowers, personal items, etc.) in between myself and the client (especially if it’s a virtual session)
• Sitting near or facing a window, stepping outside in between sessions, etc. 
• Bouncing and shaking the body in between and/or at the end of the day
• Standing on a textured surface, shift weight from side to side and tune into the sensations of the feet

    There are pros and cons to virtual therapy, but being able to have self-care tools and resources more readily surrounding me has been a huge help to managing the intensity of space-holding during a two year pandemic. 

    I hope you found these tools and tips supportive on your journey. For more trauma-informed and self-care resources, my Ethics of Trauma Informed Care training on April 29th is a virtual live training that will include lifetime access to the recording if you can’t join live. 
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    For more information and to reserve your spot, click here. ​​

As a trauma therapist, I know the language I use with my clients is key to helping them feel safe and empowered. 

Trauma informed language is all about invitation, allowing people to have freedom to explore their own experience without shame or expectation. 

When we invite someone to try something with their bodies, we allow them choice and agency - two key things that are taken away when someone goes through trauma. 

Making sure we give options and emphasize that if it doesn't feel right for that person's body, they can stop a practice at any time. 

Somatic tools are a key component to trauma recovery but each person has their own relationship and triggers within their body so invitation and curiosity is key. 

In my upcoming Ethics of Trauma Informed Care live webinar on April 29th, I will be providing a range of somatic tools and trauma informed practices to use with clients and on our own personal healing journey. 

Participants will receive 2 Ethics CEs through NASW-NC and will have lifetime access to the recording if you can't attend live. 

For more information on the course and to reserve your spot, you can click here. 

To receive weekly free trauma informed resources and tools in my newsletter, you can click here. 

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​Breathwork is one of my favorite tools to help clients (and myself) build resilience and recover from the effects of trauma.

Breathwork is a term used to describe any type of therapy that utilizes breathing exercises to improve mental, physical, and spiritual health. 

Breathwork is a way to combine the ancient practices of yoga with modern neuroscience. It can be beneficial for people experiencing anxiety, chronic pain, depression, trauma, and anger issues, to name a few. 

I believe it is important to ease people into breathing practices in phases in order to minimize triggers and increase a sense of empowerment with a new practice. 

Square Breathing is a common breathing technique that can be used to help calm the nervous system and build resilience. It is used by everyone from athletes to US Navy Seals, police officers, and nurses. 

Traditionally in this practice, you inhale for the count of 4, pause for 4, exhale for 4, and pause for 4. 

I believe there are important factors to introducing a breathwork practice that can make it more trauma informed. 

Tip #1: “Pause” vs. “Hold”
    Words matter. Referring to the practice as a “pause” rather than a “hold” can have a more neutral connotation for trauma survivors. 

Tip #2: Reduce the length
    A Modified Square Breathing practice can include inhaling for the count of 3, pausing for 2, exhaling for 3, pausing for 2. 
    This modification can help to ease individuals into the practice of breath retention, which can initially feel uncomfortable, especially for beginners. For a free video of a Modified Square Breathing practice, click here. 

Tip #3: Always by invitation 
    Inviting someone to try a breathwork practice is key for empowering an individual to make choices about what happens with their body. Reminding a client that they are in control of their own body and that they can modify or stop the practice at any time can feel empowering to a trauma survivor trying to reintegrate back into their body. 

For more trauma informed tips, you can join my upcoming Ethics of Trauma Informed Care training happening on April 29th from 9-11 EST. 

This will be a live virtual training and participants will receive lifetime access to the recording so you do not have to attend live to receive CEs. 2 Ethics CEs approved by NASW-NC will be included in the course. 

Click here for more information and to reserve your spot today. ​

​Stimulating the vagus nerve is key to helping to calm our nervous system and manage stress more effectively.

The vagus nerve is our tenth cranial nerve, extending from its origin in the brainstem through the neck and the thorax down to the abdomen, connecting with major bodily organs.  

It carries an extensive range of signals from digestive system and organs to the brain and vice versa. 

The vagus nerve regulates body temperature, heart rate and functioning, impacts our inflammation within the body and helps the brain get signals when we are full and should stop eating. 

For folks with anxiety disorders, PTSD or autonomic disorders, a vagal nerve massage and vagal nerve stimulation may be helpful. 

Vagal nerve stimulation: 
A clinical treatment where a surgical device is implanted to help stimulate and regulate the vagus nerve. You can learn more about the research being done on it by going to clinicaltrials.gov 

Vagal nerve massages: 
This is a practice you can do at home to stimulate the vagus nerve,  help calm the nervous system and build vagal tone.  Essentially the vagus nerve is what helps us detect safety in our environment and with others.

Improving our vagal tone is key to helping us improve our ability to create this sense of safety. For a full video of a vagal nerve massage, click here. 

There are a lot of nerve endings for the vagus nerve in the ear, which is where the practice begins.  The concha is the inner part of the ear (like a conch shell) and the tragus is the flap of skin right in front of the ear. The main branch goes down behind the jaw bone and down along the large muscle in your neck, down to the throat.  

• You can begin by gently massaging that part of the ear in circles as you take a few deep breaths. 
• Then you can massage gently in circles down the neck along the side of the neck towards the throat and along the top of the sternum. 
• Repeat 2-3 times, breathing deeply throughout the practice. 

This stimulation of the vagus nerve will help us build vagal tone, which is our ability to effectively respond (not over respond or under respond) to sensory input.  Yoga, meditation and biofeedback are all ways to begin to build vagal tone.

For more resources and videos for building resilience and healing, as well as learn about upcoming classes, you can join my newsletter by clicking here. 

May we all love the life we live...

Our bodies are the vehicles that carry us through the world, for better or worse, till death do we part.

Learning how to read the signals coming from our body is the key to knowing what tools will support us the best.

Do you notice your shoulders are up to your ears?
Try rolling the shoulders in a circle and then shaking out the arms.

Do you notice you are holding your breath and clenching your jaw?
Try taking deep belly breaths, releasing the jaw and letting the teeth part with each exhale.
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Research shows we must spend at least 20 minutes a day doing something that helps us complete the stress cycle. We must do this every day because we experience stress every day.

Exercise, deep breathing, a good cry and safe physical contact are all ways to help our body complete the stress cycle and return to a state of calm.

Learning how to complete the stress cycle is key to preventing burnout and building resilience. We can not just rationalize our way out of a stress response, we must move our bodies through it. Our bodies do not speak English, they only speak body language, so we must learn to talk to it.

Moving the body is one of the most effective ways to help the stress cycle complete and our nervous system to calm down. For a free video on how to release tension through movement, click here.

For more free resources, you can join my newsletter by clicking here.

This Sunday, February 6th is my virtual Cozy Winter Workshop where you can dive into practices to build safety, manage burnout and deeply rest. Click here for more information and to reserve your spot! 

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Creating sensation is a powerful way to help our bodies release tension, calm the nervous system and create a sense of safety within our bodies and our relationships.

Brené Brown says “we are emotional, feeling beings who on rare occasions think”. We feel deeply so let’s create and feel sensations to help us move through the stress cycle and build more resilience by feeling our bodies.

Weighted blankets, massage balls, foam rollers, baths and yoga are all ways to direct awareness back into the body and can help us feel safer.

If we are attuned to our bodies, we can feel safer in our environment. We can take deep breaths, lengthen our exhales and ride the waves of feelings as we live through each moment.

There is no escaping the pain that life can sometimes bring but we can use our tools to move through it with as much grace and ease as possible, knowing it too shall pass.

Most of us were not taught how to do this growing up, I know I wasn't. It’s not our fault but it is our responsibility to learn now as adults. It’s never too late to learn how to cope with stress, practice better sleep habits and build resilience.
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Releasing tension is key to calming our nervous system so that we can feel safer within ourselves and our relationships. For a free Morning Yoga video to calm the nervous system and release tension, click here. 

My upcoming Cozy Winter Workshop on February 6th will focus on simple and effective self-regulation and attachment building techniques to use in your daily life. To reserve your spot, you can click here.


You can get a chance to meet both Elizabeth and me, hear us share more details about what to expect in the workshop and answer questions in our Instagram Live this Wednesday, January 26th at 7 pm EST!


Find me at @becca.odom.wellness on Instagram to connect and learn more!


May we all love the life we live…

As a highly sensitive person, I feel deeply and if I can tune into things that are rhythmic or soothing, like music, it helps me heal.

I believe being highly sensitive is a gift, a superpower but it is, like all things, about learning how to work with it rather than against it.

Highly sensitive people can easily get overwhelmed by sensory input - bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, etc. but we also feel the beauty of life deeply.

Redirecting our attention to the sound of music, the soft texture of a blanket or clothing, the rhythm of our breathing when overwhelmed will help us regulate our nervous system and build resilience.

Tuning in is the first step to changing anything - we must notice and then we have choices.

If we choose to give our attention to something neutral or positive that is around or within us, it can become our resource and support to navigate through the changes life will inevitably bring.
Change is the only constant so finding ways to ride those waves is key to resilience and preventing burnout.

My favorite breathing practice to help me calm my nervous system is Ocean Breathing. I think of it as sneaky self-care that I can carry with me anywhere I go. Click here for a free video on Ocean Breathing. 

I am so excited to hold space for others to create a cozy, safe space in their home to receive some well deserved nourishment and rest at my Cozy Winter Workshop on February 6th from 2-4 EST!

This offering is focusing on practices to help embody security, comfort and safety within and around us.

We have CEs, equity seats and a recording that will be available if you can't join us live!
For more information and to reserve your spot, visit https://www.heirloomcounseling.com/cozy

​May we all love the life we live…