Ep. 59: Cognitive Shuffling: A Simple Tool for Anxiety, Trauma, and Sleep

In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I open up about a recent emotional meltdown that left me overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts, painful memories, and a dysregulated nervous system. After struggling to calm down, I finally turned to a surprisingly simple grounding technique called cognitive shuffling, a science-backed tool that helped me settle down. I explore how intrusive thoughts, trauma memories, grief, chronic stress, and secondary traumatic stress often intensify at night, especially for those working in animal care, welfare, rescue, veterinary medicine, sheltering, and activism. I explain why the harder we try to suppress distressing thoughts, the stronger they often become, and how cognitive shuffling works differently by gently redirecting the brain into a more relaxed, sleep-friendly state. You’ll learn: What cognitive shuffling is and how it works Why intrusive thoughts and memory loops are so common in animal welfare work How trauma and hypervigilance affect the nervous system Why anxious brains struggle to “shut off” at night A step-by-step guide to practicing cognitive shuffling How this technique can help both with insomnia and emotional overwhelm Important reminders about using coping skills without self-judgment Ways to pair cognitive shuffling with other calming nervous system practices More resources:  Sign up for my free monthly newsletter here. Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: [email protected]. Interested in becoming certified in compassion fatigue? Learn more here! Follow on social media:  Facebook Instagram YouTube Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.  Visit my free virtual calming room here.  Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.