Nervous System Reset

Today's 5 Things for restoring calm, balance, and harmony—stop overthinking, people pleasing, faking it, and be true to yourself.

Feb 20, 2026

Hello Wonderful.

Happy Lunar New Year. This holiday traces back to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BCE) and is celebrated by billions of people around the world especially in East and Southeast Asia when the first new moon of the lunisolar year signals the end of winter. It’s a time to sweep away bad luck and welcome in new fortune. The start of this year’s Lunar holiday also coincides Ramadan, a month of fasting and deep spiritual reflection observed by billions of Muslims. These meaningful rituals of renewal and reflection inspired today’s reset issue.

With the Spring Equinox only four weeks away (yes, you read that right), we feel pulled to reflect and reset to prepare for, what we hope, is better start to the new year than what we’ve experienced since January. 👇

THE WHAT LIST
by Gina Pell + Amy Parker
Friday, February 20, 2026

THE DRAIN. We’ve been having conversations about something we call ‘falsenice,’ a pun on falseness, which is basically the same thing. The fake smile, maybe even a hug, and repulsion that follows from an interchange with a person you dislike. Why can’t we be British about it? Stiff upper lip, civil nod, keep calm and carry on. No need for phony niceties or, god forbid, bodily contact. The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga is a bestselling book based on the theories of renowned psychologist Alfred Adler. It’s helping to free people pleasers everywhere from the shackles of past traumas and societal expectations to find true happiness. And this isn’t just a female trait. We stumbled upon the refreshing brilliance of Jeff Morgan aka, The Style OG, called 10 Easy Ways To Stop Being The Nice Guy, “You don’t lose good relationships because of boundaries. They actually expose weak ones. Start saying no without feeling the need to overexplain. When you stop overexplaining the right people will adjust and those who don’t were probably people who were benefiting from your lack of boundaries in the first place.” And lastly, our favorite nugget from Jeff’s mother, “If everybody likes you, either you’re fake or they’re lying.” Watch and learn here.

THE SPIN. Analysis paralysis? Overthinking to the point of procrastination? Try Shira Gill’s “just-do-one-thing” method. Think of it as a rock to put under your spinning tires. Read here.

THE SLEEP. Want to know the secret to Olympian sleep? Read All Too Well’s latest edition from our friend and Ally, Erica Huss.

THE NERVE. How much do you know about your vagus nerve? It turns out that what happens in vagus does not stay in vagus. It’s the longest nerve in your body, an information superhighway that runs from your brain to your organs. Stimulating the vagus nerve can regulate brain activity, reduce chronic inflammation, and reduce stress which may help epilepsy, depression, MS, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and possibly brain conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons. There are natural ways to stimulate your vagus nerve with REM sleep, regular exercise, deep breathing, meditation, cold water immersion, humming and listening to music. And now, there’s a host of new vagus nerve stimulation devices (VNS) on the market. But, we’re sticking to natural methods for now.

THE LIGHT. Blood sugar levels follow a 24-hour circadian rhythm, with insulin sensitivity gernally highest in the morning and lowest at night. Sitting by a window during the day may help keep blood sugar in check for those with type 2 diabetes. Read here.

THE DOC. Waves and War is an incredibly moving documentary on Netflix that follows three navy seals battling relentless PTSD after horrific experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bravey they showed on the battlefield is bested by the courage it takes for these war hardened warriors to heal through raw vulnerability and experimental psychadelic-assisted therapies involving ibogaine and DMT.

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