Your nervous system is like a garden

Image shows newly potted plants in the foreground of a backyard in early spring. In the background, we see Sharon (a white human) reaching into their pocket while Muggins (a large black-and-white dog) steps into a kiddie pool to sniff for treats.

Hey there,

Spring has arrived here in upstate New York, and the forsythia is breathtaking! Though temperatures are still dipping into 40s at night, I couldn’t resist potting some herb seeds on my patio this weekend.

Over the next several months, I’ll tend to those herbs - moving them if they need more light, watering if the rain doesn’t come, or covering them if there’s a frost before we make it to June. I’ll stay attuned to changes in moisture, color, and growth. I’ll nourish and protect them, especially from hungry critters.

Caring for my nervous system - and Muggins’s - requires the same kind of tending.

I’ll need to watch for shifts in sleep, appetite, pain, illness, or arousal; offer nourishment in the form of sensation, food, play, and rest; and set boundaries, adjust, or ask for support to protect our peace.

With diligent and gentle tending, my potted herbs will flourish into something that nourishes me right back.

And with that same care, my and Muggins’s nervous systems will also flourish into healthy ecosystems that nourish our abilities to play, create, learn, and connect.

We can feel well when we connect.

And we can connect when we feel well.

Ways to work with me:

Dog Behavior Consulting

1:1 Coaching (focus on reactive dog behavior support)

1:1 Coaching (focus on human burn out recovery)

Co-Regulation Tip

The first step to tend to your nervous system—or your dog’s—is to pause and notice what’s happening in the body. We usually do this after the sensory overload volcano erupts (because who doesn’t notice a meltdown or a dog lunging at a bicycle?). But the real magic happens when we pause before or during those moments—because that’s when support is most needed.

So, your tip this week is to

practice pausing and noticing.

Here are some things you might notice in your body or your dog’s:

muscle tension
breathing that’s shallow, tight, or held
your hands fidgeting or clenching
your dog licking, panting, or chewing

And, to help you remember to pause, try using these natural moments as cues:

your dog asks you for something
you catch yourself doom scrolling
you sit down to eat
your dog barks at something

Thank you so much for being here.

Please use the code COLLAB to get 10% off any of my offers.

Many thanks for reading this - I look forward to collaborating with you!

In warmth and light,

~ Sharon ~