How Chris & Filly Regulate In Our Daily Lives

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If you’ve ever wondered, “What does it actually look like to be regulated?” you’re not alone. A lot of people think nervous system regulation means you never feel stressed, never get triggered, and float through life in a constant state of calm. But that’s not real life. And it’s definitely not the goal.

In Episode 160, Chris and Filly share what they do in their daily lives when they feel a “disturbance” in their system — the small stuff and the big stuff. They unpack what a regulated nervous system really is (and the myths that keep people chasing the wrong thing), the daily rituals and routines they use to nourish themselves, and how they stay tuned in to what they need rather than forcing themselves through a list of “tools”.

At Chris and Filly Functional Medicine, this is a core part of burnout functional medicine and holistic health. Because if your nervous system is constantly in fight-or-flight (or shutdown), it’s harder to heal naturally. It’s harder to digest. Harder to sleep. Harder to think clearly. Harder to feel joy. Regulation isn’t a luxury — it’s a foundation for whole body health, health optimisation, and healing from within.

What a Regulated Nervous System Actually Is (and the Myths to Drop)

A regulated nervous system doesn’t mean you never feel stress. It means you can move through stress and return to baseline. It means your body can respond to life without getting stuck in survival mode for days, weeks, or years.

One myth is that regulation is a personality trait — like some people are just naturally calm and others are “anxious people”. Chris and Filly challenge that. Regulation is a skill. It’s also a state that depends on inputs: sleep, blood sugar, hydration, inflammation, gut health, hormones, and your environment.

Another myth is that regulation is only about mindset. In mind body medicine, we know the body leads more than we think. If your physiology is depleted, your capacity to “think your way” into calm is limited. That’s why integrative medicine and root cause medicine matter: you support the nervous system from both directions — body and brain.

A third myth is that you need to be regulated all the time. Life will disturb you. People will annoy you. Your kids will melt down. You’ll get a stressful email. Your plans will change. Regulation is not the absence of disturbance — it’s your ability to notice it, respond with care, and come back home to yourself.

Daily Rituals That Nourish the Nervous System (Without Making It a Chore)

Chris and Filly share daily rituals and routines they use to nourish themselves. The key word is nourish — not “fix” or “force”.

In health and wellness spaces, routines can become another performance. Another way to be “good”. Another thing to fail at. But the nervous system doesn’t regulate through pressure. It regulates through safety, consistency, and attunement.

Here are the kinds of daily foundations that support burnout functional medicine recovery and holistic wellness:

Steady blood sugar and functional nutrition basics

When blood sugar is unstable, the body can interpret it as threat. You might feel shaky, irritable, anxious, wired, or exhausted. Supporting blood sugar with protein, minerals, and regular meals is a simple form of nervous system regulation and preventative health.

Sleep as a non-negotiable pillar

Sleep is where the nervous system resets. When sleep is compromised, everything feels harder: cravings, emotions, pain, motivation, resilience. Regulation isn’t just a daytime practice — it’s built overnight.

Light, movement, and rhythm

Gentle movement, sunlight, and consistent rhythms help the body feel oriented. Your nervous system loves predictable cues that say, “We’re safe. We’re here. It’s daytime. It’s time to move. It’s time to rest.”

Micro-moments of calm

Regulation doesn’t always require a 60-minute routine. Often it’s a few minutes of stillness, a breath reset, a pause before reacting, or stepping outside for fresh air. These micro-moments add up and support healing naturally.

Why Attunement Matters More Than “Tools”

One of the most important themes in this episode is learning to be in tune with what you need — and organically supporting and loving yourself — rather than relying on a rigid set of tools.

Tools can be helpful. But if you’re using tools to override yourself, you’re still in a pattern of control. For example, forcing a meditation when your body needs movement, or pushing through a workout when your body needs rest, or trying to “positive think” your way out of grief.

Attunement is different. Attunement is listening first.

In root cause medicine, this is huge because many burnout patterns come from disconnection: ignoring signals, pushing through, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and living from “should” instead of truth. Attunement is how you rebuild trust with your body. And trust is a nervous system regulator.

A simple way to practise attunement is to ask, “What do I need right now?” and then to answer honestly — not with what you think you should need.

Sometimes the answer is food. Sometimes it’s water. Sometimes it’s rest. Sometimes it’s a boundary. Sometimes it’s a cry. Sometimes it’s a walk. Sometimes it’s asking for help. That’s mind body medicine in real life.

How Chris & Filly Regulate When They Get “Disturbed” by Small Things

Small disturbances are where most people lose regulation — not because the disturbance is huge, but because it’s constant. The little things stack up: a rude comment, a messy kitchen, a late appointment, a tech issue, a child’s tantrum, a partner’s tone, a traffic jam.

Chris and Filly talk about how they regulate when they get disturbed by small things. This is where nervous system skills become practical.

A regulated response might look like:

Noticing the disturbance early

Instead of waiting until you’re snapping, you notice the first signs: tight chest, shallow breath, jaw tension, racing thoughts, irritation.

Creating space before reacting

A pause can change everything. A breath. A sip of water. A step away. A moment to orient to the room. This interrupts the automatic survival response.

Naming what’s happening

Even silently: “I’m activated.” “I’m overwhelmed.” “I’m rushing.” Naming can reduce intensity because it brings the prefrontal cortex online.

Choosing a small regulating action

Not a perfect one. Just a small one. Stretch your shoulders. Put your feet on the ground. Look outside. Slow your exhale. Do one thing at a time.

This is holistic health because it’s not just about what you do when life is calm — it’s what you do in the moment life is messy.

Deeper Rewiring Work for Bigger Disturbances

Chris and Filly also touch on deeper rewiring work for bigger disturbances — the moments that hit harder. The bigger triggers. The old wounds. The patterns that pull you into shutdown, panic, rage, or collapse.

Bigger disturbances often need more than a quick tool. They may require deeper root cause enquiry: what belief is being activated? What story is running? What does this part of me need to feel safe? What is my body remembering?

This is where the work inside the Ending Body Burnout Method becomes relevant. Because for many people, chronic symptoms aren’t only about nutrients or hormones. They’re also about a nervous system that has learned to live in protection. Rewiring helps the body update, so it can stop bracing and start healing from within.

When you combine functional nutrition, personalised medicine, and mind body medicine, you create a whole body health approach that supports real regulation — not just coping.

Regulation as a Lifestyle (Not a Performance)

A regulated nervous system is built through repetition, not perfection. It’s built through small choices that reduce load and increase safety. It’s built through learning your cues, honouring your needs, and responding to yourself with kindness.

If you’re on a WellnessJourney and you’re trying to heal naturally, regulation isn’t optional. It’s part of the medicine. It’s part of health optimisation. It’s part of preventative health. And it’s something you can practise in tiny ways, every day.

A Gentle Next Step If You Want Support

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start connecting the dots between your symptoms, your stress patterns, and what your nervous system needs, you’re warmly invited to book a Discovery Call or connect the dots with us. It’s a calm, no-pressure way to explore what support could look like for you.

And if you want a deeper, structured approach that blends burnout functional medicine, functional nutrition, and mind body medicine, you can explore the Ending Body Burnout Method.

Listen to the full episode.

Chris & Filipa Bellette are the Founders of multi award-winning health practice Chris & Filly Functional Medicine, which is best known for ending body burnout (for good!) in “busy” people with energy, mood and gut issues. They have worked with over 3,000+ burned-out clients in the past combined 30+ years, with their own passion for ending body burnout coming from their own personal experience of body, mind, family & business breakdown, after a prolonged period of physical and mental stress.

Filipa is an accredited Clinical Nutritionist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Coach & Trauma Therapist. She is also a Ph.D. Scholar, author & regularly featured the media, such as Forbes, Body+Soul and The Daily Telegraph. Chris is a Burnout Recovery Coach & an accredited Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner, with a Bachelor of Human Movement Science. He has existed in high-performance realms of the sporting (think national athlete) & business industries and knows what it takes to get out of hustle-and-grind culture to thriving. 

They were recently awarded as the Tasmanian State Winner & National Finalist for the Telstra Best of Business Awards, and Winner of the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.