https://drbrookeweinstein.komi.io/

Brooke Weinstein, Austin, TX (2025)

09/27/2025

Oh, we're still doing this? In 2025?

Let me be crystal clear: your child who melts down at birthday parties, covers their ears at hand dryers, and refuses to wear jeans ISN'T defiant. They're not spoiled. They're not manipulating you.

Their nervous system is literally screaming 'DANGER' at sensory input that feels manageable to you but overwhelming to them.

You know what discipline teaches a sensory-sensitive kid? That their body's signals don't matter. That they should ignore their nervous system's cries for help. That they're broken for experiencing the world differently.

Here's what actually works: understanding HOW their unique brain processes sensory information, then creating an environment that supports their nervous system instead of fighting against it.

Your kid doesn't need more consequences. They need more understanding. They don't need to be fixed - they need to be seen.

And honestly? The adults suggesting 'more discipline' for sensory overwhelm are usually the same ones who lose their sh*t when the restaurant is too loud or their tags are scratchy.
Make it make sense.

Ready to actually understand your child's sensory world? Comment SENSORY to see which of my offerings come with a personalized sensory profile assessment - because every nervous system deserves to be understood, not disciplined.

09/27/2025

Most parents live their entire lives at the mercy of other people's moods.

Your kid slams a door and suddenly your whole day feels ruined. Your partner comes home stressed and you absorb that energy like a sponge. Your toddler has a meltdown and you leave feeling like you failed as a mom.

This pattern keeps you stuck in survival mode because your nervous system never gets to rest. You're constantly scanning, managing, and reacting to everyone else's emotional state.

Building internal regulation means your body learns to stay steady regardless of the chaos around you. Your stress response doesn't hijack your entire day because someone else is having a hard time.

The neuroscience is clear on this - when you develop your own regulation skills, your cortisol levels drop, your sleep improves, and you stop feeling responsible for managing everyone else's emotions.

This work takes consistency and the right tools. Most of us were raised by people who didn't know how to regulate their own nervous systems, so we're learning this from scratch!!!

How are you feeling as a parent? I mean it -- how are you REALLY feeling? Comment QUIZ and I'll DM you my parent burnout quiz. Maybe it's time to get an idea of the baseline you're currently walking through life at. Is is working for you?

Your nervous system is ready for this freedom.
Xo,
Dr. Brooke

09/26/2025

'Ma'am, blink twice if the fitness influencers got to you'

Follow for more reasonable life choices 😂

09/25/2025

Your nervous system processes the world through sensory filters that are completely unique to you.

Some brains need constant background noise to focus. Silence feels unsettling and they seek out stimulation to think clearly. Other brains shut down with any sound - even quiet music becomes overwhelming static.

Deep pressure calms certain nervous systems. These people sleep under heavy blankets, love tight hugs, and feel grounded in crowded spaces. Meanwhile, light touch can feel invasive to other systems that need physical space to regulate.

Bright lights and busy patterns energize some brains. Others feel immediately drained under fluorescent lighting or in visually cluttered spaces. The same environment hits different nervous systems completely differently.
Movement helps certain people process information. They need to fidget, pace, or bounce to think. Other systems get dysregulated by too much motion and require stillness to focus.

Most people try to adapt to environments instead of understanding how their sensory system actually works. Once you know your profile, you can structure your day around what helps your nervous system stay regulated rather than constantly fighting against your wiring.

Interested in learning more about your specific sensory profile? Comment SENSORY and I'll DM you about the sensory assessment we offer in the Regulation Reset Collective

Xo, Dr. B

09/25/2025

Most people live in a constant state of low-level dysregulation and think it's normal adult life.

You wake up already behind, muscles tight before your feet hit the floor. Your body stays in a defensive posture even when you're supposedly relaxing. You hold your breath through conversations that shouldn't be stressful.

The emotional dysregulation is trickier to spot because we've normalized big reactions to small problems. Road rage over a slow driver. Crying in the Target parking lot because they were out of the specific crackers your kid wanted. Complete emotional shutdown during family dinner.

Then there's the stuff we do to cope - the mindless phone scrolling that eats hours of your day. Procrastinating on things that would actually make your life easier. Losing it over homework battles that happen every single night.

Your nervous system developed these responses for good reasons, probably when you were young and they helped you survive difficult situations. But now they're running your adult life, making everything feel harder than it needs to be.

The tricky part is that dysregulation often looks like productivity, perfectionism, or just being a responsible adult. You can be highly functional and completely dysregulated at the same time.

Once you start noticing these patterns without trying to immediately fix them, you can begin to understand what your system actually needs to feel safe.

Follow along for more nervous system insights to change your life for good.
Xo,
Dr. B

"RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.Research Sonnet 4

09/24/2025

And I wouldn't have it any other way ⚡

09/23/2025

Your brain after trauma becomes a detective, constantly searching for clues, patterns, and explanations. This makes perfect sense! Understanding feels like control, and control feels like safety.

But here's what happens: sometimes we get so focused on analyzing our trauma that we avoid actually feeling and processing it. We can recite every trauma response, explain our triggers in detail, and understand the neuroscience behind our reactions -- but still feel stuck.

This intellectualizing is actually a protective mechanism. Your nervous system would rather think about the trauma than feel it, because thinking feels safer than experiencing those raw emotions again.

The tricky part? Both understanding AND feeling are necessary for healing. Knowledge without embodied processing keeps you in your head. Pure emotional processing without context can feel overwhelming and chaotic.

Real healing happens when you can hold both - when you understand your patterns AND allow yourself to feel what needs to be felt, in safe doses, with proper support.

If you recognize yourself in this endless cycle of research and analysis, that's not weakness - that's your system trying to heal the only way it knows how. The next step is learning how to move from your head into your body, slowly and safely.

09/23/2025

The only nervous system "hack" I get with: When you have consistently rough mornings, check what sensory chaos is happening around you in order to figure out how to make it go more smoothly.

The fluorescent lights humming overhead. The scratchy tag in your shirt. The neighbor's leaf blower at 7am. Your phone buzzing with notifications. The smell of burnt toast lingering in the kitchen.

Your brain processes thousands of sensory inputs every moment, and each one is sending signals about safety or threat to your nervous system. When those inputs are overwhelming, your whole day can feel off-script.

But here's the thing - you have more control than you think.
Small changes, big impact:
Dimming harsh lights or using warmer bulbs
Playing calming background music instead of chaotic noise
Changing into softer fabrics that don't irritate your skin
Using essential oils or candles for comforting scents
Creating visual calm by reducing clutter in your line of sight

Your sensory environment either supports your regulation or sabotages it. There's no neutral.

When you become intentional about your sensory inputs, you're literally rewriting your nervous system's daily narrative. Instead of surviving the sensory chaos, you're creating an environment that helps you thrive.
Notice what sensory inputs drain you. Notice what restores you. Then start making small, intentional changes.
Your nervous system will thank you, and so will everyone around you.

Feeling overwhelmed by sensory input? Comment SENSORY and I'll DM you about all the ways you can learn how to work with your specific sensory system

09/22/2025

Seriously, why is it always the moms getting the room parent email? The birthday party planning request? The "can you just quickly organize the teacher appreciation week" message?

We carry ALL the invisible load of parenting: the mental lists, the emotional labor, the endless coordination - and then we say yes to even more because we don't want to disappoint anyone.

People pleasing has been ingrained in women for centuries. When your brain perceives social rejection as a threat to your safety, saying yes feels like survival. Your nervous system would rather exhaust you than risk conflict.

But every yes you DON'T want is a no to yourself. Every commitment you take on that isn't what you REALLY want to do is energy stolen from what actually matters to you.

Learning to set boundaries isn't selfish!! It's teaching your body that you're safe even when other people are disappointed.

Ready to break the people pleasing cycle? Comment RRC to get info on my People Pleasing workshop - exclusively available at the Regulation Reset Collective.

09/21/2025

*this story is based on true events*
The nervous system space has become the wild west of wellness, and I'm genuinely concerned about what I'm seeing.

Every day I watch influencers with zero training in neuroscience, trauma, or mental health selling 'nervous system programs' that promise to heal your childhood trauma through breathwork and manifest financial freedom through vagus nerve hacks.

Here's what they're not telling you: your nervous system isn't a life hack. It's a complex biological system that requires understanding, respect, and often professional support to work with safely.

When you're looking for help with trauma, anxiety, or nervous system dysregulation, please look for:
✓ Actual credentials and training
✓ Years of education, not just a weekend certification
✓ Professionals who refer out when something is beyond their scope
✓ Evidence-based approaches, not just personal testimonials
✓ People who understand the difference between nervous system support and therapy

I will always advocate for those who need real support, not expensive snake oil wrapped in neuroscience buzzwords. And I will always champion my colleagues who are doing this work ethically and safely.
Your healing journey deserves more than someone's Instagram story about how they 'hacked' their way to enlightenment. It deserves trained professionals who understand the complexity of what you're working through.

Be discerning. Ask questions. Look for credentials.
Your nervous system is worth real expertise, not trending hashtags.

Xo, Dr. B 💛

"

09/21/2025

You know that feeling when someone walks into a room and you immediately sense their energy? That tension before they even speak? That's their nervous system talking to yours.

We think communication is about words, but your body is having an entire conversation before your mouth opens:
Your posture says "I'm defensive" or "I'm open.”
Your breathing signals "I'm anxious" or "I'm calm."
Your energy broadcasts "I'm safe" or "I'm a threat."

Your tone carries regulation or dysregulation.

When you're dysregulated (stressed, overwhelmed, triggered) you bring that energy into every interaction. Your nervous system puts everyone else on alert before you've said a single word.

When you're regulated, you become a calming presence. People feel safer around you. Conversations flow differently. Conflicts resolve easier.

Your kids feel this. Your partner feels this. Your coworkers feel this.

The most important communication skill isn't what you say - it's the nervous system state you bring to the conversation.

Before your next difficult conversation, ask yourself: What is my nervous system communicating right now?
Regulate first. Speak second.

Struggling with staying regulated in tough conversations? Comment READY and I'll DM you about how I help people with this every. day.

09/20/2025

I was so pumped to have Alyssa from Big Kids, Bigger Feelings onto my podcast because she gets something that most people in our field miss.

When someone is dysregulated, talking TO them is literally the LAST thing that will help them regulate. Their nervous system cannot process your words, no matter how gentle or logical you think you're being.
This is why I've been pushing back against traditional parenting advice for years. We've been approaching meltdowns, conflicts, and daily communication completely backwards.

Alyssa and I also dove deep into sensory compatibility and why your perfectly reasonable explanation falls on deaf ears when your kid is melting down. Why your partner shuts down when you try to resolve conflict while they're overwhelmed. Why sensory compatibility can be a game changer for your relationships.

The full episode is live now and I'm already getting messages from parents saying this conversation changed how they handle everything in their household.
Go listen - and comment PODCAST for a link to the episode.

Who else needs to understand nervous system compatibility? Tag them below.

Brooke Weinstein

09/27/2025

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