Shauna Mucklow and Dr. Brett discuss nervous system health and stress regulation on Wellness Wednesday

Is Your Nervous System Stuck in Overdrive?

October 08, 2026•2 min read
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Most people know stress is bad for their health — but few realize just how much of that damage happens through the nervous system. On this week’s Wellness Wednesday, Shauna sits down with Dr. Brett, a licensed chiropractor with over 30 years of experience in functional nutrition and functional medicine, for a powerful conversation about why regulating the nervous system may be the single most important thing anyone can do for their overall health.

Dr. Brett breaks down the difference between the two states of the nervous system — the sympathetic “fight, flight, or freeze” state and the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state — and explains why so many people today are unknowingly stuck in survival mode. From food sensitivities to sleep struggles to emotional patterns that won’t let go, so many symptoms trace back to a nervous system that has been dysregulated for far too long.

The good news? There are simple, powerful tools anyone can start using today to shift the nervous system back into balance. Shauna and Dr. Brett walk through two foundational techniques live on the call — and the results speak for themselves.

In This Episode We Discuss:

  • What the autonomic nervous system is and why it controls so much more than most people realize

  • The difference between fight/flight/freeze and rest/digest — and how to tell which state the body is living in

  • How emotional stress, physical stressors, and environmental toxins all impact nervous system regulation

  • Two powerful daily techniques (box breathing and a hands-on stress-processing method) that anyone can do in under 5 minutes

  • The role of nutrition, sleep, chiropractic care, and intentional nervous system prep in long-term resilience

Key Takeaways:

  • A dysregulated nervous system is at the root of many common symptoms — sleep trouble, reactivity, food sensitivities, brain fog, and chronic tension

  • Heart rate variability (HRV) is one of the most accessible objective tools to measure nervous system balance

  • Box breathing (4-5 seconds in, hold, out, hold) is the same technique Navy SEALs use to regulate under extreme stress

  • The body stores emotional stress physically — touching the point of tension while touching the forehead activates the vagus nerve and helps process and release it

  • Stress is not the enemy — the body’s ability to adapt to stress is the real indicator of health

The nervous system touches everything. Supporting it is not optional — it is foundational. Tune in and share this one with someone who needs it.


Save these links in your records so you can easily return to them.

You can listen to all recordings via audio by visiting this link:

https://biohackandactivate.com/activationpodcast

You can also find us on Apple Podcasts here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wellness-wednesday-activation-podcast/id1860715006

And on Spotify here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6wDumT9yTsCzNWD9LxzeIm

We release new episodes every week, so there is always fresh content to guide you on your wellness journey. Tune in, get inspired, and start supporting your body and mind from the inside out.

Thank you for joining us for another Wellness Wednesday discussion.

The Fab Collab

The Fab Collab

The Wellness Wednesday Activation Podcast is a weekly conversation about real health that begins in your gut, your cells, and the choices you make every day. Each episode features experts who bring proactive perspectives on topics such as hormones, metabolism, energy, stress, sleep, detoxification, and more. These discussions go beyond surface-level advice, uncovering the science of how your body truly works and offering practical strategies you can apply immediately. At its core, the podcast is about empowerment, helping you reclaim ownership of your health by understanding the foundational truth that when you repair and support the gut and the cells, everything else in your body functions better.

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