12 Habits for a More Regulated 2024

Episode 46: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout

This episode explores how to set yourself up for a calmer, more intentional year—not with pressure-filled resolutions, but with simple, sustainable habits. Amanda shares 12 habits for nervous system regulation, each one designed to meet you where you are and build momentum over time. These aren’t quick fixes, but powerful practices that help create the foundation for real healing.

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What We Cover in This Episode

• Why traditional resolutions rarely work—and what to do instead
• How nervous system regulation supports sustainable behavior change
• 12 simple lifestyle habits to support regulation month by month
• The science behind starting small (and why it works)
• How to use this list to make 2024 your most regulated year yet

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Why Most Resolutions Fail (And What Works Instead)

Amanda opens this episode with a compassionate truth: traditional resolutions often fail because they ask too much of us at the wrong time. After the stress and chaos of the holiday season, our systems are depleted—and yet we’re encouraged to go all in on ambitious goals. The research backs this up: over 90% of resolutions don’t stick.

Instead of chasing big change from a dysregulated state, Amanda invites a shift: regulation over resolutions. With more nervous system regulation, your capacity to make meaningful changes expands—sustainably. It’s not about being more disciplined, but about working with your biology.

The Framework: Tiny Habits, Big Shifts

Pulling from BJ Fogg’s “Tiny Habits” model, Amanda explains that successful behavior change relies on three key ingredients:

1. Motivation – your desire to do something
2. Ability – your actual capacity to do it
3. Prompt – a cue or reminder to take action

The more ability you build (aka regulation and capacity), the less motivation you need. Instead of making decisions in a moment of high motivation (like New Year’s Eve), Amanda recommends starting laughably small and anchoring your habits in real capacity. These tiny changes compound.

The 12 Habits for More Regulated Living

Throughout the year, Amanda and the Regulated Living Membership community will focus on one habit per month. Here’s the full list with short explanations:

1. Urges & Bathroom Check-Ins – Strengthen interoception by listening to natural body urges and using bathroom breaks as mini-mind-body check-ins.
   
2. Sleep – Optimize sleep hygiene. Even small improvements in sleep can dramatically impact mood, regulation, and energy.
   
3. Morning Sunlight – Get outside within an hour of waking to support circadian rhythm, cortisol regulation, and mood.
   
4. Breakfast – A high-protein, blood sugar–balanced breakfast supports energy and prevents anxiety crashes.
   
5. Daily Walks – Gentle movement outdoors improves mental clarity, digestion, and emotional regulation.
   
6. Breathwork – Assess everyday breathing patterns and use intentional breath tools to soothe the system.
   
7. Play – Play supports neuroplasticity, resilience, and joy—especially when shared with others.
   
8. Exercise – Regular movement supports brain health and rivals antidepressants for mood improvement.
   
9. Cold Showers/Cold Exposure – Supports vagal tone, resilience, and mental clarity (optional but powerful).
   
10. Decluttering – Your external environment affects your internal state. Small tidying shifts reduce stress.
    
11. Tech Boundaries – Screen time management protects your nervous system from overstimulation.
    

Vagal Toning – Practice gentle exercises that support vagus nerve health and systemic calm.

Making This List Work for You

Amanda reminds us: these habits aren’t magic, but they are powerful. If even one of these becomes part of your new baseline, you’ll feel the difference. And if you’re part of the Regulated Living Membership, you’ll be guided step by step each month with coaching, calls, and community support to integrate these in a personalized, supported way.For those craving more depth or stuck in learning mode without follow-through, Amanda shares that many listeners turn to 1:1 coaching inside Restore to turn understanding into sustainable change.

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Three Tangible Takeaways

1. Regulation over resolutions. It’s okay to skip the big goals and focus on capacity first. You’re not behind.
   
2. Start laughably small. Shrink your goal until it fits your current life and mental load.
   
3. Use the habit list. Set a monthly reminder to check in with one habit. Simple awareness builds momentum.

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Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
• Join me inside the  Regulated Living Membership, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
• Join my Release Class – Monthly guided nervous system regulation class
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!
• Download free resources here

*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.