Default to YES: From Regulation to Reinvention — For Nurses Ready for More

Juli Reynolds, Nurse Coach
  • 5.0 (8)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Default to YES is your weekly coaching session for nurses ready for more. More clarity. More confidence. More capacity. More freedom to move from regulation to reinvention—without losing yourself in the process. Hosted by Board Certified Nurse Coach and Clinically Certified Aromatherapist Juli Reynolds, this podcast blends neuroscience, holistic health, and soul-centered coaching to help nurses and healthcare leaders rise above burnout, regulate their nervous systems, navigate career and life transitions, and live the life they were created for. Each episode delivers: Science-backed strategies for nervous system regulation, brain health, resilience, and sustainable performance in healthcare Holistic practices like aromatherapy, breathwork, and lifestyle medicine designed specifically for real nursing life Stories, reflection, and coaching questions that build courage, boundaries, confidence, and clarity in your day-to-day work and life If you’re ready to move beyond surviving shifts and start saying YES— YES to your calling YES to your health YES to ethical boundaries YES to your extraordinary self This show will guide you—step by step—from regulation to reinvention.

  1. 6D AGO

    You Don’t Need Fixing: The Power of Becoming a Compassionate Observer

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! In this episode, we explore: Why self-judgment keeps the nervous system stuck in threat modeThe difference between awareness and compassionate observationHow thought downloads help process emotions and reduce mental overloadJournaling as a regulation tool—not a productivity taskA simple mindset shift that turns self-criticism into self-leadershipThis episode is for anyone who feels like they should be “over this by now” and is ready to replace fixing with kindness. Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    15 min

  2. FEB 10

    Stop Waiting to Be Understood: The Lie Nurses Are Taught About Self-Sacrifice

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! Nurses are taught—directly and indirectly—that self-sacrifice is part of being “good” at this work. Work through breaks.  Stay late.  Carry the emotional weight.  Don’t complain.  Don’t ask for too much.  Don’t be “difficult.” But what if that story isn’t noble…  What if it’s dangerous? In this episode, we unpack the quiet lie many nurses have internalized — that self-sacrifice equals compassion, loyalty, or strength. We talk about how this belief shows up in burnout, moral distress, people-pleasing, and the fear of setting boundaries. You’ll hear:  • Why waiting to be understood keeps nurses stuck and depleted  • The neuroscience of regulation, co-regulation, and why your presence is clinical power  • Why boundaries are ethical — not selfish  • How confident, clear advocacy protects patients and nurses • How to get clear on what you want and need — and say it without apology If you’ve ever thought:  “Why do I have to keep proving I care by how much I can carry?”  This episode is for you. You are not “just a nurse.”  You are influence, safety, wisdom, and system-level change — whether anyone names it or not. Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    24 min

  3. FEB 2

    Building Capacity: When Your Nervous System Can’t Absorb One More Thing

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! Lately, many of us are feeling it more—the anxiety, the tension, the emotional weight of the world. And for nurses, this isn’t abstract. We hold stress, fear, urgency, and responsibility every single day.  “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) In this episode, we are continuing a conversation where I share honestly about navigating my own anxiety for the first time in a new way during perimenopause—and how a prolonged power outage became an unexpected nervous system check-in. What I noticed wasn’t weakness. It was capacity. We explore: Why anxiety can increase during perimenopauseHow co-regulation causes us to absorb the stress of othersWhat happens to your health when stress is absorbed or ignoredWhy nervous system regulation isn’t a one-time toolThe difference between calm and capacityHow building nervous system capacity protects long-term healthA grounding practice using geranium and the feet to support regulationThis episode is an invitation to stop pushing through and start building the internal capacity to feel, regulate, and recover—without burning out or breaking down. This is not about doing more.  It’s about doing differently. Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    29 min
  4. Anxiety Relief: A Practice for Post-Crisis Recovery

    JAN 30 · BONUS

    Anxiety Relief: A Practice for Post-Crisis Recovery

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! This was created for a "Post-Storm Recovery"  This episode offers a practical guide for recovering after a crisis or prolonged stress, particularly addressing the body's lingering alert state after a storm or any crisis. It introduces a mindfulness practice combined with aromatherapy to help calm the nervous system, manage anxiety, and aid in rest and recovery. Key techniques include breathwork, the use of essential oils like lavender and cedarwood, and intentional affirmations to signal the end of survival mode. The session is centered on creating a sense of safety and steadiness without forcing a return to normalcy, emphasizing the importance of gentle recovery. 00:22 Setting Up for the Practice 01:59 Breathing Techniques 05:56 Post-Crisis Aroma Cognition Ritual 🌿 Post-Crisis Aromacognition Ritual “Marking the End of Survival Mode” This ritual helps the brain encode safety after prolonged stress, which is often missing after events like extended outages or storms. When to Use: Once daily for 3–5 days after the crisis. Especially helpful in the evening or before sleep The Ritual (5–7 minutes total) 1. Choose One Oil (Intention Before Action) Select one oil only—simplicity signals safety. Lavender → emotional safety, sleep recovery. Cedarwood → grounding after instability . Frankincense → mental clarity + reassurance. Bergamot → lifting heaviness and emotional fatigue2. Anchor the Meaning (Neuroscience Step) Before inhaling, say quietly: This moment marks the end of survival mode.This links the aroma to completion, not coping. 3. Gentle Sensory Pairing Apply 1 drop to palms or collarbone. Inhale softly once or twice. Pair with one long exhale4. Body Cue of Safety Place a hand on your chest or belly and notice: warmth, contact, weight 5. Close with Identity Language Say one sentence that reinforces regulation: My body knows how to recover.I am allowed to rest after resilience.This chapter is closing.Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    11 min

  5. JAN 23

    Inner Peace for Nurses: Daily Regulation Practice

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! What if the exhaustion you’re feeling isn’t because you’re doing life wrong—but because you’ve been carrying too much internally for too long? In this episode of Default to Yes, we explore the idea of spiritual hygiene—the daily, gentle practice of caring for your inner life with the same intention you bring to your work as a nurse. For nurses and healthcare professionals, peace is often outsourced to circumstances: the schedule, the unit, the next day off, or the next season of life. But true regulation doesn’t come from outside control—it comes from inner authority, presence, and nervous system safety. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why nurses often feel depleted even when life looks “manageable”How fear, shame, and unprocessed emotional residue quietly tax the nervous systemWhat spiritual hygiene looks like as a daily practice, not a belief systemWhy presence regulates more effectively than pushing, fixing, or forcingA simple, nurse-friendly practice to restore steadiness and clarityHow scripture supports inner regulation and peace without bypassing realityThis is a conversation about cleaning from the inside out.  About learning to tend to your inner world with honesty and care.  And about remembering that peace is not something to outsource—it’s something to practice. Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    15 min

  6. JAN 13

    Optimizing Health of Mind, Body, and Spirit in an Age of Noise

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! What does it mean to pursue health of mind, body, and spirit when the world feels loud, polarized, and oversimplified? In this episode, Juli reflects honestly on the anxiety of meaning-making in a culture addicted to certainty. She explores why uncertainty is so uncomfortable for the brain, why influencer culture offers false safety, and how true health is built not through extreme protocols or borrowed confidence—but through simple, embodied, daily practices. Drawing from neuroscience, spiritual direction, and lived experience, this conversation reframes health as capacity, wisdom as curiosity, and growth as a long walk rather than a quick fix. Key Themes Covered Why Uncertainty Triggers Anxiety The brain is a prediction organ; uncertainty activates the amygdala and threat responseAmbiguity can feel more distressing than known negative outcomesThis explains why certainty—real or false—feels soothing to the nervous systemWhy Influencer Certainty Feels Comforting (But Isn’t Healing) Confidence lowers perceived cognitive loadSimple answers reduce nervous system arousal—even if inaccurateRelief is not the same as regulation; certainty is not the same as truthWhat Optimizing Health Actually Means Not eliminating questions, but increasing tolerance for themSupporting nervous system regulation and prefrontal cortex engagementStrengthening inner authority rather than outsourcing discernmentHow Health Is Built Regulation before resolutionEmbodied awareness over external authoritySimple, repeatable daily decisionsHonoring questions as part of spiritual and psychological maturitySpiritual Direction Insight Henri Nouwen reminds us in Spiritual Direction that: Without questions, answers feel manipulativeWithout struggle, help feels like interferenceWithout desire to learn, direction feels oppressiveHealth—of mind, body, and spirit—grows where humility and curiosity are allowed to coexist.   Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    20 min

  7. 12/31/2025

    Release What Is in the Past: The Neuroscience of Letting Go & Beginning Again

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! Release What Is in the Past: The Neuroscience of Letting Go & Beginning Again What if the reason you struggle to let go of the past isn’t weakness—but wiring? As we step into a new year, many of us feel pressure to “move on,” set goals, and be positive—while still carrying emotional residue from what’s behind us. Old hurts. Lingering resentment. Stories that replay long after the moment has passed. In this episode, we explore: Why the brain resists letting go—even of things that no longer serve usThe neuroscience and psychology behind emotional attachment to the pastWhy release can feel like loss, grief, or identity threatHow to integrate lessons without dragging the wound forwardThe meaning of Jubilee and why release is meant to be practiced, not rushedHow a personal manifesto can help you begin the year with clarity, coherence, and calmThis episode is an invitation to release what belongs to the past, keep the wisdom, and step forward intentionally—mind, body, and spirit. Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    19 min

  8. 12/15/2025

    Before You Set Another Goal: Try This Instead

    Share Your Tips and Take-aways with me! Every January, we’re encouraged to set new goals, create resolutions, and push ourselves toward change. And yet, so many well-intentioned resolutions quietly fade by February. In this episode, I’m sharing a different approach—one that works with your brain, your nervous system, and your values instead of against them. Rather than asking, “What should I do this year?” We explore a more powerful question: “Who am I choosing to become?” You’ll learn why a personal manifesto can be a more effective, sustainable alternative to traditional New Year’s resolutions—and how it can guide daily decisions, reduce overwhelm, and support real alignment in your health, habits, and calling. We’ll talk about: Why New Year’s resolutions often fail (from a neuroscience perspective)How identity-based change creates lasting momentumWhat a personal manifesto is—and what it is notHow clarity, courage, and calling shape better decisionsA simple 60-second daily practice to stay aligned all yearWhy this approach supports mind, body, and spiritHow this becomes a foundation for your healthiest year everThis episode also serves as a jumpstart to the work we’ll be doing inside the Yes Society in January—where we focus on clarity, nervous system regulation, intentional habits, and whole-life well-being. If you’re tired of starting over every January and ready for a more grounded, life-giving way forward, this conversation is for you. ✨ Want to join us and create your healthiest year ever?  The Yes Society is open, and you’re welcome here. Support the show When you are ready, there are a few ways we can connect—each designed to meet you where you are: CLICK HERE and get The Default to Yes newsletter, where I share weekly mindset shifts, simple nervous-system rituals, scripture-anchored reflections, practical tools for regulated living as a nurse. No overwhelm. No pressure. Just steady encouragement to keep moving forward - aligned and grounded. If you’re looking for a steady place to land between episodes, you’re welcome to join our free Facebook community, The Regulated Nurse. -a private space for nurses and health care professionals focused on nervous system regulation, inner clarity, and sustainable practices that help you trust yourself again—one steady step at a time. If this episode stirred something in you and you’d like a quiet space to talk it through, you’re welcome to schedule a short 20 minute clarity call. It’s a conversation by phone or Zoom—no pressure, no fixing—just space for what is coming up, and what you want more (or less) of. NO REGRETS Discovery Call Let me know what it looks like when you default to YES! VOICE MESSAGE.

    16 min
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About

Default to YES is your weekly coaching session for nurses ready for more. More clarity. More confidence. More capacity. More freedom to move from regulation to reinvention—without losing yourself in the process. Hosted by Board Certified Nurse Coach and Clinically Certified Aromatherapist Juli Reynolds, this podcast blends neuroscience, holistic health, and soul-centered coaching to help nurses and healthcare leaders rise above burnout, regulate their nervous systems, navigate career and life transitions, and live the life they were created for. Each episode delivers: Science-backed strategies for nervous system regulation, brain health, resilience, and sustainable performance in healthcare Holistic practices like aromatherapy, breathwork, and lifestyle medicine designed specifically for real nursing life Stories, reflection, and coaching questions that build courage, boundaries, confidence, and clarity in your day-to-day work and life If you’re ready to move beyond surviving shifts and start saying YES— YES to your calling YES to your health YES to ethical boundaries YES to your extraordinary self This show will guide you—step by step—from regulation to reinvention.

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