Suggest edit — resets

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# resets

the full toolbox for getting back to baseline, organized by state.

## anxious / sad / jealous / unconfident

1. go through what's making you feel that way — name it specifically
2. appreciation — look at what you have, what's going well (see [[gratitude-and-appreciation]])
3. look at your own achievements — not for validation, but for evidence that you're capable
4. → confidence

the sequence matters. you can't skip to "just be confident" — you have to process the feeling first, then build back up. this maps to Joe Hudson's welcoming practice: feel the emotion fully before trying to move past it. see [[confidence]].

## tired

- cyclic hyperventilation (box breathing variant — intense)
- sustained exercise (10+ minutes — needs to be sustained, not just a quick stretch)
- breathwork
- bathroom / wash hands (the physical reset — cold water, change of sensation)
- nap
- hang upside down (bloodflow to the brain — sounds weird, works)
- talk with people
- reflecting — staring into space (different from [[zooming-out]] — this is more passive, letting your mind wander)
- reflecting — looking at past notes

## itchy / hot / physically uncomfortable

- shower — drench head in cold water specifically
- change or remove clothes
- take off glasses / earbuds (remove sensory input)
- go outside and breathe

## general (works for most states)

- eat fruit
- blast music in ears
- look back at old notes

## the meta-lesson

most of these resets are physical. when your mental state is cooked, changing your physical state is usually faster and more reliable than trying to think your way out. the body leads the mind.

the exception is the anxious/sad category, where the reset IS mental — processing the emotion, [[gratitude-and-appreciation|appreciating]], building [[confidence|evidence for confidence]].

## when to reset vs. when to push through

see [[perseverance]]. sometimes the right move is to reset. sometimes it's to push through the discomfort. the test: is the discomfort from the work being hard (push through) or from your state being degraded (reset)?

## in the moment

"in the moment, do what is right, and have the willpower to do what is right." resets aren't about running from work — they're about restoring your capacity to do the work well.