As I write this, a lot of people are walking around with their nervous systems pinned at redline.

Not in some dramatic, movie-scene way. More like the slow burn kind.

Jaw tight without noticing.

Sleep getting lighter.

Breathing shallow enough that you don't realize it until you sigh and feel your shoulders drop an inch.

Doom-scrolling late, waking up wired, and wondering why patience feels thinner than it used to.

Here's what most people don't connect:

When your nervous system is dysregulated, your training suffers. Your recovery stalls. Your discipline evaporates. Not because you're weak—because your physiology has shifted into a state where building muscle and losing fat become secondary survival priorities.

This newsletter is different from my usual content.

..But if you've been training hard, eating right, and still feeling like you're running on fumes—if your progress has stalled for reasons you can't quite pin down—this matters more than your macro split.

Because a dysregulated nervous system doesn't just make you feel bad. It changes how you think, how you react, how you perform, and how your body responds to the stress you're intentionally placing on it in the gym.

When a human being loses a sense of safety, physiology shifts.

When physiology shifts, behavior follows.

When behavior shifts, your training consistency, food choices, and recovery habits go straight to hell.

That's not ideology or moral weakness. That's biology doing what it's designed to do under threat.

The Physiology You Need to Understand

I recorded a podcast on nervous system regulation, chronic stress, trauma, and what happens to humans when sleep, safety, and dignity get stripped away.

Pure coincidence that it aired right as Minnesota was dealing with yet another brutal reminder of what chronic fear and power without restraint can produce.

Right before we hit record, the hosts asked me something simple:

"Do you want to talk about what's happening right now?"

I said yes.

Not because I wanted to be inflammatory.

Not because I enjoy controversy as I think we all should live in love, drink black coffee, lift heavy-ass weights to metal tunes, and hang out on the water to kiteboard…

..but because pretending physiology stops at the gym door or the lab bench is nonsense.

Stress doesn't clock out.

Trauma doesn't give a harry rats ass about your politics.

And your autonomic nervous system doesn't respond to slogans.

Here's What Chronic Stress Does to Your Training

Chronic stress, sleep deprivation, and unresolved trauma live in the body first. They live in the autonomic nervous system via sympathetic dominance that never turns off.

In hypervigilance.

In fragmented sleep.

In impaired prefrontal control.

When someone lives in that state long enough, poor outcomes stop being surprising and start being predictable.

And here's what that looks like in your gym:

· Recovery between sets takes longer because your heart rate variability is trashed

· You can't push as hard because cortisol has been elevated so long your adrenals are basically flipping you off

· Sleep fragmentation means less REM, less deep sleep, and literally less muscle protein synthesis overnight

· Food decisions deteriorate because your prefrontal cortex—the part that says "maybe don't eat the entire pizza"—is offline when you're in chronic threat mode

· Training feels like punishment instead of stimulus because you're already flooded with stress hormones before you even walk into the gym

This is the conversation we had on the podcast—through the lens of the prison system and those behind bars for years at a time, but the mechanisms apply whether you're in a cell or scrolling news at 2 AM wondering why the world feels like it's on fire.

We talk about why trauma almost always precedes criminal behavior, not the other way around.

Why punishment-heavy systems so often increase recidivism instead of reducing it.

Why sleep deprivation alone can destabilize mood, impulse control, and perception to a degree most people drastically underestimate.

…And what regulation actually means at a physiological level — not Instagram GooRoo breathwork of the week cosplay, but real, boring, effective mechanisms.

What I Actually Do When Stress Ramps Up

I also share what I do personally when stress ramps up and the noise gets loud.

Nothing fancy—but all of it is designed to shift my nervous system out of sympathetic overdrive so my training, recovery, and cognitive function don't completely crater.

Here's the actual protocol:

None of this is sexy.

..but all of it works across a myriad of levels of stress.

And more importantly: all of it allows my training to actually work instead of becoming just another stressor on an already maxed-out system.

Why This Episode Matters Now

Side note—this episode itself was scheduled 7 months ago and recorded before the most recent events unfolded in MN. It just happened to be released into a moment where the conversation landed heavier than expected.

If you care about performance, recovery, resilience, or simply staying human when things get chaotic, I think this episode is worth your time.

If you've been wondering why your progress has stalled despite doing everything "right," this might be the missing piece.

If you've been feeling wired and tired at the same time, this will explain why.

Here's the link to listen:

>> Guest Podcast on Spotify <<

>> Guest Podcast on iTunes <<

If it's not for you, all good. Regular programming resumes tomorrow.

But if you find this useful, pass it along to someone who could use a reminder that behavior is downstream of physiology—and that includes your training behavior, your recovery behavior, and your nutrition behavior—long before anyone labels it a character flaw.

Much love,

Dr Mike

PS- The foundation of nervous system regulation is solid nutrition, strategic exercise (not just more stress), and protected sleep. All three are core components in the Flex Diet Cert that opens Monday, Feb 9, 2026—because you can't out-protein a dysregulated nervous system, but you can sure as hell support regulation through what, when, and how you eat.

PPS- here are 4 direct take aways you can apply right now

1. Sleep Protection (Non-Negotiable)

· Room pitch black—blackout curtains, tape over every LED

· Temperature between 65-68°F

· No screens 60 minutes before bed (yes, actually)

· Magnesium glycinate 400mg about 90 minutes out or 1 scoop of Killswitch

· If my mind is racing: 10 minutes of writing every intrusive thought on paper just to get it out of my head

2. Movement as Down-Regulation (Not More Stress)

· When stress is high, I drop training intensity by 20-30% and focus on movement quality

· Long walks in the morning—30-60 minutes

· Nasal breathing only during these walks to push parasympathetic activation

3. Light Exposure (Circadian Anchoring)

· Outside for waking—even if it's cloudy, even if it's cold

· 10-20 minutes minimum no sunglasses early in the AM

· Avoiding overhead lighting after 7 PM, switching to lamps and dim lighting to let melatonin ramp naturally, using a red light panel in the background for light

4. Information Hygiene

· I balance information intake with creative output

· No news or social media first thing in the morning or last thing at night whenever possible

· If I notice I'm doom-scrolling: hard stop, 10 deep nasal breaths, ask myself what I'm actually trying to avoid feeling, restart again.

​

_____________________

Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance, LLC
Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

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