When it comes to dealing with the hustle and bustle of life, things can move fast, and you don’t even know where the time went. It can be a lot in this day and age to keep up with adulting, growing in your career, having hobbies, seeing your friends, meal planning, and breathing.

Still, that’s why it’s important to fully reset your nervous system when entering a new month, and what better than Mental Health Awareness Month? Recently, I took a wellness retreat to the Cayman Islands, where I explored Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman for a full reset, and not just the typical shut my phone off digital detox reset, but instead fully focusing on breath work, hydrotherapy, and more. So let’s get into it.

What is your Nervous System?

The nervous system is the body’s primary command-and-communication center, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and a vast network of nerves. There are three parts of the nervous system that keep things afloat: the Autonomic Nervous System, which regulates our bodies in response to stress; the sympathetic Nervous System, which triggers the fight-or-flight response; and the Parasympathetic Nervous System, which slows specific bodily responses and helps the body enter a state of calm.

What’s so Important about Resetting My Nervous System?

Okay, I know you probably think these are just a bunch of trends, thanks to so much social media learning fancy new buzzwords, but it’s actually very important to make time to properly process and give your body space to slow down once in a while.

Experiential Learning

On the first day, I participated in my first hydrotherapy experience at Meraki Wellness. Hydrotherapy involves any method that uses water to treat a variety of symptoms throughout your body. I experienced the Panoramic Sauna, Aquamoon Showers, Caldarium, Frigidarium, Rain Experience, Snow Room, Tepidarium and the Mineral Pool.

Each sector of hydrotherapy helped reset your parasympathetic nervous system (the rest-and-digest response), lower cortisol levels, and stimulate the vagus nerve through warm-water immersion and sensory input. Through the hot-and-cold experience, I was able to release any toxins and stressors within, reconnect with myself, and allow for a cleanse.

Practicing Mindfulness

Now, before you roll your eyes because of the cliché, there are various layers of what it means to practice mindfulness. The foundation of it stems from breathwork. Throughout the entire experience, the main lesson I kept hearing was the importance of breathing and giving yourself a pause to reflect on the present moment in a time where we’re constantly on go.

The next mindfulness practice I experienced was a floating-sound session, which was my favorite, as the Sunrisers by IslandSoul hosted us for a soothing moment of reflection, breathwork, sound meditation, and, overall, a cleansing of the mind. I was able to fully be at one with my thoughts and focus on what I want for myself and in the moment.

Takeaways for Everyday Life

Now, of course, you don’t have to be out of the country to reset your nervous system, and what this experience taught me was that I should be incorporating moments of mindfulness, breathwork and even hydrotherapy into my everyday life. Whether it’s adding a colored light for a dark rainfall shower experience or not immediately getting on my phone when I wake up, and taking the time to breathe and collect my thoughts.

Taking the time to reset your nervous system is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity in our fast-paced world. My wellness retreat in the Cayman Islands highlighted the benefits of these practices, and these experiences allowed me to reconnect with myself and find clarity amidst the chaos of everyday life.

By incorporating small moments of reflection and relaxation into our routines, we can cultivate a healthier mindset and better manage stress. Remember, prioritizing mental health is essential, and it starts with simply taking a step back to breathe and be present. So, as we move forward, let’s embrace these practices and make a conscious effort to nourish our mental well-being, wherever we are.