Occupational Therapy, Life Experience & Creative Thinking
16/02/2026
DAY SEVEN – LAUGHTER RESET
Today’s exercise is a bit silly - and that’s the point 😊 Laughter is a powerful (and often overlooked) way to support vagus nerve regulation. You can try this exercise on your own, with others, and if this doesn’t work try watching a funny video (funny cats could do the trick).
Why this supports the vagus nerve:
Laughter naturally stimulates the vagus nerve through rhythmic breathing, vocalisation, and activation of facial muscles. It also reduces cortisol and increases feelings of connection and safety.
15/02/2026
DAY SIX – FACE AND JAW RELEASE
Today’s exercise focuses on relaxing the face muscles, ears and throat.
Why this supports the vagus nerve:
The vagus nerve has branches that extend to the muscles of the face, ears, and throat. Releasing tension here can calm nervous system, supporting relaxation and safety.
Polyvagal lens:
This exercise activates the ventral vegal state, supporting feelings of safety, connection, and emotional regulation.
Gentle reminder:
Move slowly and stop if anything feels uncomfortable - regulation should feel supportive, not forced.
14/02/2026
Day Five – Vagus Nerve Meditation for Calm & Comfort
Today we’re focusing on slowing down and supporting the ventral vagal system, the part of the nervous system linked to safety, connection, and calm.
Polyvagal Theory reminds us that regulation doesn’t come from forcing relaxation - it comes from creating conditions of safety for the body.
Meditation supports that by:
- Slowing the breath
- Increasing body awareness
- Reducing muscle tension
- Helping the nervous system settle
This practice can be especially supportive for people living with chronic pain, fatigue, or long-term stress, where the nervous system may be stuck in survival mode.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this - just notice, relax and enjoy.
13/02/2026
DAY FOUR – COLD WATER EXERCISE
Today’s practice is all about activation of the vagus nerve using cold stimulation.
According to Polyvagal Theory, the vagus nerve plays a key role in helping our nervous system move out of fight-or-flight and back into a state of calm and safety. Cold exposure to the face and neck can activate the dive reflex, sending a signal to the brain to slow things down. Here is a link if you want to read more about the dive reflex https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538245/
Why this helps:
Cold water stimulation can:
- Slow the heart rate
- Support digestion
- Reduce stress arousal
- Help the body shift toward a calmer, more regulated state
Try one option that feels safe for you today:
- Splash cold water on your face
- Take a brief cool shower
- Hold a cold pack to your face or neck for 1–3 minutes
Remember: this is not about pushing yourself. Even a few seconds can be enough to cue the nervous system toward regulation.
Take it gently. Notice how your body responds.
12/02/2026
Day Three Exercise – Gentle Humming
The vagus nerve connects to the vocal cords, which means sound can be a powerful tool for calming the nervous system.
Gentle humming or soft singing creates subtle vibrations that stimulate the vagus nerve and support a sense of safety and ease. It can help release tension, regulate breathing, and relax the body - without needing to “do” very much at all.
Perfect if you’re feeling unsettled, tired, or need a quick reset.
11/02/2026
Day Two Exercise – Belly (Diaphragmatic) Breathing
This is our second day of vagal nerve stimulation exercises. Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down and give this exercise a try.
Breathing is one of the most powerful ways we can influence our nervous system - and we do it all day, every day.
Slow, diaphragmatic (belly) breathing gently stimulates the vagus nerve. Lengthening the exhale helps shift the body out of stress mode and into calm regulation. It can help reduce tension, slow the heart rate, and support emotional balance.
This is a grounding practice you can return to anytime, especially during moments of stress, pain, or fatigue.
10/02/2026
Over the next 7 days, we will be sharing one simple exercise each day to support nervous system regulation. These exercises are easy to try and don’t take too much time.
There’s no right or wrong way to do them - notice what feels good for you and leave anything that doesn’t (keeping a journal or using the comment section to share your experience might be helpful).
Today’s exercise is about helping the nervous system recognise safety.
According to Polyvagal Theory, neuroception is a process of the nervous system, where the environment is scanned for cues regarding safety or threat. This often happens beneath the level of consciousness. When safety has been detected, the ventral vagal system activates, supporting calm, connection, and regulation.
By slowly looking around the room and naming what you can see, hear, and feel, you are:
- Orienting to the present moment
- Sending clear safety signals to your brain
- Gently reducing stress-based activation
Take your time. Let your eyes move slowly. There is nothing to fix, just notice.
Mariana, OT student
02/02/2026
Understanding Pain Through the Nervous System: A Polyvagal Perspective
The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Stephen Porges, explains how the autonomic nervous system influences our feelings of safety and emotional connections. It identifies three states: safety, high alert, and shutdown. For those with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, understanding these states can help manage pain and stress through various therapeutic approaches....
The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Stephen Porges, explains how the autonomic nervous system influences our feelings of safety and emotional connections. It identifies three states: safety, high alert, and shutdown. For those with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, understanding these states can help manage pa...
30/01/2026
Travelling with a Hypermobility Syndrome
Travel and days out are meant to be enjoyable — a break from routine, a chance to explore, connect, and rest. But for people living with a hypermobility syndrome, travel can feel overwhelming before it’s even begun. Pain, fatigue, joint instability, and unpredictable symptoms can turn what should be a positive experience into a source of anxiety. The goal of travel planning isn’t to “push through” symptoms — it’s to…...
Travel with a long term pain condition can be exhausting. Yaz, OT student, explores some strategies for making travel easier and provides resources to help you prepare.
27/01/2026
Little update time. As some of you know I recently started using Heidi Health (AI medical scribe). I know AI is controversial for a lot of reasons, and I agree with a LOT of the criticisms particularly the ecological impact and theft from human artists. But, this has allowed me to do something pretty amazing. This is my second week working basically full time.
One of the biggest bottle necks in my service has always been paperwork. It takes a lot of time and effort to accurately document appointments. Not to mention all the reports, letters and emails.
Heidi has allowed me to cut my average documentation time for a 1hr Freestyle Appointment from 45 minutes to 10. It's also helping me with student placement documentation and creating summaries of planning meetings.
The reason I'm sharing this is because I've now got it set up for another cool feature. If you can't complete your initial paperwork independently, we can now do it together.. I'll ask you questions interview style, and Heidi can capture it using my regular paperwork as a template. I'll check it with you for accuracy afterwards. So, if you have previously not booked in because my paperwork was daunting, you do now have another option. I'll be pricing this at my standard overtime rate, starting at £30 per 30 mins which is cheaper than the appointment rate but still helps me cover my costs.
If you'd like to know more about Heidi, you can find info on their website. If you'd like to book in with me, please drop me an email to get started hello@jboccupationaltherapy.co.uk
From AI medical scribe to AI care partner: Heidi transcribes consults, generates structured notes, streamlines clinical workflows, and returns time to patient care.
24/01/2026
Calling all healthcare professionals and students!
It's exciting CPD time. The Hypermobility Syndromes Association have pulled together a superstar panel of experts (including yours truly) to educate on Craniocervical Instability in hypermobile patients. Rheumatology, neurosurgery, physio, OT and orthotics input plus a panel discussion. It'll be a really good opportunity to upskill and get your questions answered! Please spread the word far and wide. If you can't attend live, then a recorded version of all talks will be available later on!
This event is NOT open to patients. Plenty of other events are though so please check out the HMSA website for details.
FREE 2-part PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION event for all clinicians wanting a better understanding of treatment options for hypermobile patients with leading experts in the field: Physios (Ann McCarthy, Anna Higo), Neurosurgeon (Prof Joshi George), Rheumatologist (Dr Philip Bull); OT (Jo Southall).
23/01/2026
January often brings a lot of 'new year, new me' vibes. But change for disabled and chronically ill folks isn't always a smooth process. If you're looking to make some changes to your fitness, health, work or life in general then pacing is essential.
Pacing isn't about doing less, it's about doing things efficiently and working within your energy boundaries. Pushing hard can be effective short term, but the crash afterwards is not worth it. Paced life is sustainable.
If you'd like to learn more about how to pace yourself, please consider a Pacing Masterclass with me. It's 30 minutes of theory and some tips on how to get started.
Available world wide via Teams for £30, you even get handouts. Evening and weekend slots available too. No cancelation fees because I know how life goes sometimes!
Pacing is an important management strategy for a wide range of long-term conditions. In this pacing masterclass you'll learn the theory, tips, hints & more
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when JBOT - Jo Southall posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Occupational Therapy, Life Experience & Creative Thinking.
Launched in 2016, Jo Southall’s independent Occupational Therapy services aim to give people the tools and skills they need to live well with long-term conditions. Supported self-management aims to get people managing their own health with the medical professionals as a saftey net not the driving force. Sticking to the core prinicples of Occupational Therapy, Jo works with you to achieve your goals, using skills pulled from OT training, research and a lifetime of personal experience living with an un-cooperative body.
Appointments are conducted via videochat, telephone, social media and instant message, Occupational Therapy has never been so accessible or stress free. The lack of an actual clinic helps keep costs down too!
Services include:
Pacing Masterclasses to get you started managing persistent fatigue.
Joint Protection to help you look after your body.
Sleep Hygiene to beat pain-somnia and help you maximise your mightime routine.
Flare-up planning - because despite everyones best efforts, sometimes it all just goes wrong.
Personal Shopping for aids and adaptations to help you navigate the confusing world of disability equipment.
Freestyle appointments for pretty much anything else and for those unsure how to start their self-management journey.
Finally, Wellbeing in Practice mentoring for the healthcare professional with their own health challenges
