Feeling the Pressure?

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

— Jon Kabat-Zinn

Okay… so this week is a LOT.

We’ve got end-of-year pressure, holiday expectations, disrupted routines, overstimulated kids…

And us… the very tired (let’s be real… exhausted) parents just trying to hold it all together.

So if your nervous system already feels stretched thin, just know… that makes a lot of sense. But please hear this:

The goal right now is NOT to stop the waves.

There’s no version of you that magically makes this week calm. You simply cannot control every meltdown, messup, or emotion.

If you try, it’s just going to leave you feeling like a failure, so do NOT take on the impossible.

But you can learn to “surf” what’s coming.

For years, I thought regulation required that things settle down first, right? If things were chill, then I could show up better. But the truth is…

Regulation is built inside the chaos, not after it disappears.

It’s our ability to:

• notice when we’re starting to tip
• recover faster when we do
• respond with just enough steadiness

So as the week unfolds… please keep in mind…

Success does not look like some BS idea of calm.

It looks like shorter spirals. It looks like repair instead of regret. It looks like one intentional pause where you might’ve exploded before.

Your tiny action step for this week:

Once a day (literally just once) do this:

1. When you feel yourself getting activated, pause
2. Exhale longer than you inhale (like in for 4, out for 6)
3. Quietly say to yourself: “I don’t need to stop the wave. I just need to ride it out.”

That’s it. Not ALL day. Never perfectly.

 Just once.

In that single moment, you’re creating more nervous system capacity… and that is how you’re going to get better at riding the wild waves that this world has to offer.

And listen… if this message resonates, it might be a sign you don’t need more discipline or willpower.

You need support.

Inside our private community, The Collective, we help parents build real regulation skills through education, tools, and connection (not pressure or perfection).

You can join us risk-free for 7 days and get access to our:

• nervous-system-based parenting support
• workshops, webinars, and practices you can actually use
• and a space where you don’t have to pretend you’re fine

If this season feels heavy, you don’t have to carry it alone!

👉 JOIN RISK-FREE FOR 7 DAYS

And however this week unfolds, please remember:

You’re not failing. You’re just surfing.

As always, thanks for being here.

— Greg