One thing I love about half term is the relief of not having to rush out of the door every morning or think about packed lunches and school admin for a few days. But if you’re anything like me, it can also bring a whole different kind of exhaustion — especially if you have younger children, or children who are neurodivergent or highly sensitive.

My boys turn 13 and 11 on Monday and Tuesday, so we’ve got a week of birthday celebrations, parties and family coming to stay. And over the years, I’ve realised there’s a very fine line between excitement and overwhelm when it comes to children who feel things deeply.

The build-up, the change in routine, the extra stimulation, the late nights, the sugar, the noise, the unpredictability… it can all tip from joyful to exhausting very quickly.

And when you’re the one holding everything together, organising everything and trying to make it all feel magical, it’s very easy to lose yourself in the process.

If you have neurodivergent or sensitive children yourself, you’ll probably understand that holidays often require a whole extra layer of planning, awareness and emotional energy. It’s not just about getting through the days — it’s about trying to keep everyone regulated enough so things don’t completely unravel.

Which is why I think it’s so important that we don’t forget ourselves in the middle of it all.

Not in a “go and have a spa day” kind of way (although I wouldn’t say no to that either)! I mean in small, realistic ways that help your nervous system come back into regulation so you don’t end up stuck in that “too hot” state of stress, anxiety and overwhelm… or swing the other way and feel completely flat, disconnected and exhausted.

Over the course of my nervous system regulation training, I’ve been trying lots of different tools and practices on myself, and honestly, these are the ones making the biggest difference to my day-to-day life.

I’m keeping this very simple because time is usually the last thing most of us have during half term — and the last thing we need is another overwhelming list of things to do.

But these small things really do add up.

The more regularly you can support your nervous system in gentle ways, the easier it becomes to recover from stress and move back towards feeling calm, grounded and able to cope.

So here are a few things that are helping me right now.

Morning

One of the best things you can do first thing in the morning is get natural light into your eyes before looking at your phone or having your first coffee or tea.

Open a window, step outside if you can, and let the daylight hit your face for a minute or two.

It sounds almost too simple to matter, but this really helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which affects your sleep, energy, mood and nervous system regulation throughout the day.

You can combine this with some simple breathing exercises too.

Here are two I keep coming back to:

1. The sigh breath

Breathe in deeply through your nose for 4 seconds, hold it for a moment, then release it as a big audible sigh.

Really let your shoulders drop as you breathe out.

Repeat for a minute or so.

2. Long slow out breaths

Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it gently, then breathe out slowly through pursed lips, as though you’re blowing through a straw.

Repeat for 1 minute.

One of the reasons breathing exercises can feel so calming is because your heart rate naturally speeds up slightly as you breathe in, and slows down as you breathe out. So when we lengthen the out breath, we’re helping signal safety and calm to the body.

Another thing I’ve found incredibly helpful is supporting lymphatic drainage and helping my body release stress physically rather than just mentally trying to “calm down”.

A couple of easy ways to do this are:

Legs up the wall

Lie on the floor with your legs resting up against a wall for 1–5 minutes.

Honestly, I usually manage about one minute before someone needs something, but even that helps.

Lymphatic shaking or “hops”

This one makes me laugh every time, but it genuinely works.

Shake your whole body — arms, legs, shoulders, everything — and let yourself feel a bit ridiculous.

It’s brilliant if you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed or like there’s too much energy buzzing around your body.

One of the things we’re trying to do with nervous system regulation is complete the fight-or-flight cycle instead of leaving all that stress energy trapped inside us. Physical movement helps your body release it.

And finally — nature.

Whenever possible, try to get outside within the first couple of hours of waking, although honestly, anytime is good.

And if you can, try walking without a destination.

We sometimes do this as a family and take turns deciding which way to walk next. It often ends up being surprisingly fun.

Of course, I won’t pretend my boys don’t still argue outside too. But somehow it never seems to last as long when we’re in nature.

There’s something incredibly regulating about fresh air, trees, open space and natural light. I really think our nervous systems need it far more than modern life allows for.

During the day

The lovely thing about these tools is that you can use them at any point during the day if you notice yourself becoming overwhelmed, stressed or overstimulated.

Sometimes even 60 seconds of breathing, stepping outside for fresh air or shaking out some tension can completely change the direction of your day.

And sometimes it won’t magically fix everything — but it might stop you tipping fully into overwhelm.

That matters too.

Evening

Most of the same tools work beautifully in the evening as well (apart from the natural daylight one obviously).

One thing that has made a huge difference for me is reducing screen time before bed.

I bought myself a sunrise alarm clock last winter because I had got into such a bad habit of scrolling on my phone right until I went to sleep.

Now I try to avoid screens for at least 30–60 minutes before bed where possible.

Instead, I’ll read, stretch, breathe or do a short guided meditation.

I often use the calm app, or YouTube meditations, and  Great Meditations has some lovely ones.

These are only a tiny handful of the vast nervous system regulation tools out there, but they’re simple, accessible and realistic — especially during busy weeks like half term.

And most importantly, they don’t require you to completely overhaul your life.

Just small moments of support for yourself amongst the chaos.

Because you matter too. And the calmer and more regulated you feel, the more supported your children will feel as well.

Hope you all have a happy, calmer half term and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.

Jo x