Find Your Footing in Fight or Flight with a Resilient Reset™

Originally published November 5, 2025 on LinkedIn by Kimberly Arnold

People ask me all the time how I stay so calm under pressure.

I promise you, I wasn't born this way.

Over 15 years, I studied practices rooted in Aikido, Tai Chi, Qigong, Feldenkrais, Continuum, and Conscious Dance. I learned that even a slight shift in attention and body position can immediately reset your nervous system.

I've taught these practices to hundreds of leaders. 

The response? Amazed. Instant relief with lasting, cumulative benefit.

Today, I'm launching Resilient Reset — my biweekly newsletter with science-backed micro-practices you can use in seconds when pressure peaks.

Each edition delivers one simple tool to help you stay strategic under stress, build composure as your competitive advantage, and lead with clarity when stakes are high.

Subscribe now to receive Resilient Resets in your inbox every two weeks.

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You'll work well and be well.

And as you become strategic under stress, so does your team and everyone around you.

In today's volatile world, reclaiming your calm is one of the greatest acts of service.

Rather than react, respond with resilience.

First edition is below: Find Your Footing in Fight or Flight

When everything feels out of control, we default to our automatic response: fight, flight, or freeze.  But what if your body could find its footing so you respond with clarity and composure instead?

If you’re a leader who needs to stay sharp when the stakes are high, this series is for you.

Hi, I’m Kimberly.  I combine 30 years leading high-pressure teams in healthcare, consulting, and tech with 15 years as a certified somatic teacher.  I bring executive experience and embodied wisdom to leaders who need both.

Last week, someone pulled in front of my car too close for me to stop without hitting them. 

I slammed on the brake and felt the jolt under my foot.When I got out of my car, the first thing I did was feel both feet on the ground.

Before I thought about the damage or what to do next, my body did what it’s trained to do: Find Ground.

That slight shift told my system I was safe enough to think again.

Welcome to Resilient Reset™

Your biweekly practice to stay strategic under stress in seconds.  Each edition shares one science-backed micro-practice to help your body recover faster and perform better when pressure peaks.

Together we will explore Resilient Resets:  quick to learn, easy to apply, and designed to build muscle memory for composure as your competitive advantage.

Today’s Reset: Find Ground

When pressure spikes, your body’s first instinct is to tighten and lift, your shoulders, breath, thoughts, all rise.

But strategic thinking requires the opposite: downward awareness that steadies your system and clears your mind.

This simple reset trains your body to return to stability, so you reclaim composure as your reflex, stronger than your reaction.

Practice Now: Find Ground

Watch the video or follow the steps below. Try this now:

1. Place both feet flat on the floor beneath you.

2. Alternate pressing down with each foot to feel the support from below.

3. As you press, notice the ground rising up to meet your feet.

4. On your next exhale, imagine roots extending from the center of each foot going deep into the ground.

5. Press into that steady support as you elongate your spine and reach through the top of your head.

Make It Stick

People always say, “I’ll try to remember that the next time I’m in a high-pressure moment.”Here’s the thing: once your threat response activates, your strategic mind is flooded or offline.

Your mind won’t remember but your body will.

Practice Finding Ground when you’re not in crisis.

Pair it with something you already do daily:  brushing your teeth, starting a meeting, or hitting “Join” on Zoom.

Those small repetitions teach your body to be calm on cue.Then when the pressure rises, your strategic steadiness is already built in.

Your Turn

Where could you use a one-minute reset in your workday? Commit to it now.

☑️ Put it on a Post-it.

☑️ Make it your screensaver.

☑️ Set an alarm.

☑️ Schedule it on your calendar.

☑️ Invite a friend to practice with you.

You become what you practice.

Find Ground throughout your day and reclaim your composure as your competitive advantage.

I love to hear from you. Share your high-pressure scenarios or questions in the comments. I read and respond to every one.

Reset Fast.  Stay Strategic.  Lead with Composure.

Kimberly