What Is Regulated Living? Habits That Heal and How to Start
Episode 68: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout
This wrap up episode of Amanda’s Essential 8 series brings it all together. What does it actually mean to live a regulated life? What does that look like in daily routines, especially when you’re navigating anxiety, depression, or chronic stress? This episode explores the concept of “regulated living”—not as a perfect protocol, but as a personalized approach to healing grounded in daily choices.
What We Cover in This Episode
- What regulated living is and why it matters for healing
- How your habits shape nervous system health
- Why mental health is physical health
- How to identify your personal starting point using the Essential 8
- An inside look at the newly renamed Regulated Living Membership
What Is Regulated Living?
Regulated living means shaping your daily life with habits and routines that support nervous system regulation and mental health. It’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing enough to give your brain and body what they need to recover from chronic stress and feel well.
When your habits are aligned with your physiological needs, healing becomes more accessible. Amanda reminds us that sleep, movement, nutrition, connection, and other essentials aren’t optional extras—they’re foundational to health.
Healing Isn’t a Perfect Protocol
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life overnight. The goal is to identify one habit, one shift, one action that supports regulation. Start with the smallest possible change and build from there. That’s how nervous system healing becomes sustainable.
Amanda offers three reflection questions to help you find your starting point:
- Which of the Essential 8, when dialed in, makes it hard to have your worst day?
- Which one feels most in your control right now?
- Which one are you most interested or curious about?
The Essential 8 are:
- Sleep
- Movement
- Breath
- Vagal Toning
- Stress Management
- Nutrition
- Community
- Interoception
Find your personal intersect between those three questions and begin there.
Real-Life Application and Client Insights
Amanda shares the story of a burned-out mom in the membership who felt stuck managing her stress with four kids at home. Instead of more tools, what she needed was a family rhythm—a way to create space for herself without guilt. Together, they created a weekly one-on-one night with each child, relieving pressure and increasing connection.
This is the heart of regulated living: strategic shifts that match real life.
And when your nervous system is stabilized by these supportive choices, deeper healing work—like trauma processing or belief rewiring—becomes safer and more effective.
Introducing the Regulated Living Membership
As a soft launch announcement to the podcast community, Amanda shares that the Rise Membership is officially being renamed the Regulated Living Membership. This better reflects what the space is about: helping people build a lifestyle that heals.
Inside, you’ll find:
- A self-paced healing course covering the Essential 8
- Daily 27-minute workouts and 10-minute regulation practices
- Live coaching, monthly challenges, and community events
- SOS libraries with in-the-moment support tools
- Personalized support and a real sense of belonging
Amanda describes the membership as a “healing gym”—not a one-size-fits-all program, but a space where you find your fit and grow from there.
Three Tangible Takeaways
- Regulated living is a lifestyle, not a checklist. It’s about consistent, flexible habits that build capacity.
- Start small and strategic. Use the Essential 8 to find your personal entry point.
- Healing accelerates with support. Community, coaching, and co-regulation make all the difference.
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.
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.
