Danielle RalstonFounder, How Capacity Works · Founder of ND Hive | Building the productivity hub where work actually gets done | Execution spaces, body doubling & community accountability

Beat Overstimulation FAST: Cool Wrists & Vagus Nerve Reset

17 Dec 2025 · 2 min

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1:35

Danielle Ralston shares quick fixes for sensory overload: cool your wrists and neck with ice or water, use vagus nerve breathing techniques, and keep fidget tools nearby. Textured cups, magnetic wrist toys, and twistable rings work fast when overstimulation hits.

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My favorite thing is when I'm really overstimulated, it's because I'm too hot, that I will grab a couple ice packs and put them on my wrists, run cool water over my wrists. Huge help. It brings me right down. Usually that's a big thing for me, doing lots of vagus nerve resets, deep breathing, ice on my neck. All of those things help. But what are the things that are driving me nuts? What are the things that I need to calm myself down? Like for me, this new cup that I got, I love this cup because it's Textured. Each one of these blocks has a different texture in it. Oh, sweet. And it's become a fidget for me.
So create the area to have that quick grab. Like, remember these, Danielle?
Oh my gosh, I love those things. They're magnetic little guys. We gave them away at Healing Epilepsy. But things like that, having a ponytail on your wrist that you can mess with.
A little one or a big one.
Rings that you can twist. And I mean, whatever it is, have a toolbox. We need a toolbox full of things that help us get out of that overstimulation.
And sometimes it might even be like a little stuffed animal. Um, you know, like I've got that yellow one up there. That one has a very soft yarn on it. So when I'm really stressed, I can just pull it down. You know, and they, they kindly got me a stuffed animal there that has little bees inside that has noise, so I can get them out and shake them, but they're soft. Give yourself a little humor. I mean, for heaven's sake, the world is too serious. Let's just laugh at something.