Tune in to operating systems for being human.
A library of plain-language protocols for the parts of life no one hands you a manual for. Each comes with a mechanism, a step-by-step, a printable, and the research it stands on.
Fawn Response
The fourth trauma response. Five-stage protocol to stop running it.
Cyclic Sighing OS
Five minutes a day. Strongest evidence in any 2023 anxiety RCT.
Diving Reflex Protocol
Cold water on the face, 15-30 seconds. Heart rate drops 10-25%.
Diaphragmatic Breathing OS
Eight breaths a minute for parasympathetic dominance. Hopper et al. 2019.
Humming and OM Protocol
Lower stress index than sleep, in a Holter monitoring study.
4-7-8 Breathing OS
In for 4, hold 7, out for 8, four cycles. The pre-sleep breath.
The Five Non-Negotiables
Minimum-viable nervous-system maintenance. None more than five minutes.
State-Matched Decision Tree
67% improvement matched vs. 28% generic. Pick the right tool.
5-Question Pre-Bet Audit
Five questions before any high-stakes choice. Wired to Win Ch. 14.
Tendler 7-Tilt OS
Seven types of tilt, seven cognitive injections. Treat each separately.
Mental Hand History OS
Five-step structured writing. Externalize the tilt. Compound the learning.
Executive Function Scaffolding
Externalize what the brain can't internalize. Permanent accommodation, not training wheel.
What 'The Human Frequency' Actually Means
Established, emerging, contested, or sold to you. Five checks for any frequency claim.
Transition Protocol OS
10/5/2 minute warnings, triple-redundant. ~70% reduction in transition meltdowns.
Meltdown Early-Warning System
Four stages of an ND meltdown. Catch it in Stage 1.
The 5-Task Reframe
"Get ready for bed" is five tasks. The micro-command fix.
Validate-Then-Redirect OS
Order matters. Reverse it and you produce escalation. SB Ch. 1+6.
Co-Parent Alignment Meeting
30 minutes a month. Six items. Prevent slow drift into misalignment.
School Advocacy Letter OS
The accommodation request schools can't ignore. Triggers a 30-day evaluation.
Medication Decision Framework
Eight questions for the prescriber. Thirty-day measurable trial framework.
RSD Recognition OS
Ten-sign checklist. RSD affects up to 99% of ADHD individuals.
RSD De-Escalation OS
Don't argue with the emotion. The 6-step First Aid Protocol.
The 8 Magic Keys (FASD)
The foundational FASD framework. Environment compensates for the brain.
How to Have a Difficult Conversation
The umbrella OS for hard talks. Five steps that hold when the prefrontal cortex goes quiet.
SCARF Threat Audit OS
Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness. Five-minute audit. Rock 2008.
Polyvagal Repair OS
When words don't fix it, the body does. Three steps in order.
Harvard Method 4-Step OS
The framework that ended Apple-Samsung. Plus BATNA. Fisher and Ury.
Gottman Repair Phrases OS
The Four Horsemen and their antidotes. Three repair phrases.
Termination Conversation OS
The hardest conversation. Dignity, clarity, legal precision.
Salary Negotiation OS
Three scripted frameworks plus five non-salary asks.
Partner's Guide to RSD
RSD doesn't end at 18. Adult relationship protocol.
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