Struggling to settle after stress? In this episode, licensed therapist and Mind+Body coach Travis Goodman teaches three polyvagal-informed practices to reset your nervous system quickly and safely. You’ll learn how to orient to safety cues, ground through the senses, and use lengthened exhale breathing to activate the vagal brake. These simple, science-backed techniques help you move from fight/flight or shutdown back to calm connection. Perfect for busy men, dads, and leaders who need a fast, reliable way to self-regulate without white-knuckling it.

What you’ll learn:
• Polyvagal exercises to regulate your nervous system fast
• How to orient and scan your environment for safety
• 3-sense grounding to exit rumination and return to the present
• Lengthened-exhale breathing to stimulate the vagus nerve and settle your heart rate
• Why “reset first, solve second” prevents reactivity and burnout

If you want deeper coaching or therapy, visit travisgoodmanlmft.com. For more men’s mental health tools and community, check out The Men’s Collective Podcast.

[Life in Silico] by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

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🌐 Learn more at menscollective.co or travisgoodmanlmft.com

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YouTube: Travis Goodman
Instagram: @travis.goodman.lmft
Web: TravisGoodmanLMFT.com

What if your body—not your mind—was deciding how safe, calm, or stressed you feel?

In this episode of The Men’s Collective Podcast, therapist and Mind-Body Coach Travis Goodman, LMFT, breaks down the three organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory—a science-backed model by Dr. Stephen Porges that explains how your nervous system runs your daily life.

You’ll learn how to recognize your body’s automatic states—ventral (safe and connected), sympathetic (mobilized and stressed), and dorsal (shutdown and numb)—and how to move toward regulation, calm, and connection.

In this episode:

• What Hierarchy teaches us about emotional states and the “autonomic ladder”
• How Neuroception constantly scans for safety or threat without you realizing it
• Why Co-Regulation (connection) is the secret to true calm and healing
• A real-life example of how reaching out to safe relationships resets your nervous system
• Practical ways to notice, name, and navigate your state

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t just “think” your way out of stress, this episode will help you finally understand the biology of safety—and how to work with it.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
🌐 Learn more at menscollective.co or travisgoodmanlmft.com

JOIN THE COLLECTIVE: JOIN THE MEN'S COLLECTIVE: CLICK HERE

JOIN THE MAILING LIST & GET INVOLVED! CLICK HERE: MAILING LIST

INSTAGRAM: MENSCOLLECTIVE.CO

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: WATCH HERE

Connect and Support Travis:
YouTube: Travis Goodman
Instagram: @travis.goodman.lmft
Web: TravisGoodmanLMFT.com

Feeling anxious, tense, or shut down for no reason?In this episode of The Men’s Collective Podcast, therapist and Mind + Body coach Travis Goodman, LMFT breaks down Polyvagal Theory in simple, practical language so you can finally understand your stress responses — and stop fighting your own body.

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory explains how your nervous system constantly scans for cues of safety or threat and shifts between three primary states:

• Ventral Vagal: calm, connected, grounded
• Sympathetic: fight / flight / mobilized energy
• Dorsal Vagal: shutdown, numbness, disconnection

Travis explores how these automatic shifts shape your mood, focus, relationships, and resilience — and why men often mistake these states for weakness, anger, or burnout instead of recognizing them as survival responses.

You’ll learn: ✅ What Polyvagal Theory is — in real-world terms ✅ How to identify your current nervous-system state ✅ Why awareness is the first step toward regulation ✅ How to work with your body, not against it ✅ A simple reflection practice to regain calm & connection

This episode is for men who want to feel more grounded, adaptable, and emotionally aware, and for anyone curious about the link between nervous system health and mental health.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on men’s mental health, resilience, and purpose at menscollective.co

JOIN THE COLLECTIVE: JOIN THE MEN'S COLLECTIVE: CLICK HERE

JOIN THE MAILING LIST & GET INVOLVED! CLICK HERE: MAILING LIST

INSTAGRAM: MENSCOLLECTIVE.CO

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: WATCH HERE

Connect and Support Travis:
YouTube: Travis Goodman
Instagram: @travis.goodman.lmft
Web: TravisGoodmanLMFT.com