By: Kattie Muniz

If you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at night, your mind spinning with to-dos and worries, or feeling like your body is constantly bracing for impact, you’re not alone. In a world that rarely slows down, nervous system burnout is becoming increasingly common, and many people may not fully recognize it when it happens.

That’s where Rebecca Kase, LCSW, steps in with her new book, The Polyvagal Solution: Vagus Nerve-Calming Practices to Soothe Stress, Ease Emotional Overwhelm, and Build Resilience, or The Polyvagal Solution for short, available May 1, 2025.

With this refreshingly down-to-earth guide, Kase introduces readers to the power of the vagus nerve and polyvagal theory — a scientific yet practical framework for understanding and regulating our stress response.

Meet Rebecca Kase, Therapist, Educator, and Wellness Advocate

With nearly 20 years of experience in trauma therapy and nervous system education, Rebecca Kase brings a wealth of knowledge to the world of healing. She’s trained thousands of therapists, coached high-performing professionals, and helped everyday people navigate trauma, anxiety, and burnout using neuroscience-backed methods that are designed to be effective and sustainable.

As the founder of the Trauma Therapist Institute, Kase blends deep clinical expertise with relatable wisdom and a bit of humor. She’s also an established author with other well-regarded books, but The Polyvagal Solution stands out as her most practical and approachable offering yet.

Whether you’re a therapist, an entrepreneur, a parent, or simply trying to manage the challenges of daily life, Kase’s book provides a guide for calming your body and reclaiming your peace.

What is Polyvagal Theory, and Why Does It Matter?

Polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how the nervous system — especially the vagus nerve — plays a crucial role in how we respond to stress, form relationships, and experience safety.

Put simply, your vagus nerve acts as a kind of switchboard operator between your body and brain. When your nervous system detects danger (even something as seemingly minor as a snarky email or a stressful commute), it can trigger your fight, flight, or freeze response — even if you’re not in immediate danger.

Over time, repeated activation of this stress response can take a toll on your physical and emotional health. You might start to feel anxious, exhausted, detached, or on edge without fully understanding why.

According to Kase, the issue isn’t you. It’s simply that your nervous system is doing exactly what it’s designed to do, perhaps a bit more frequently than it should.

Practical Tools That Don’t Feel Like a Chore

One of the most appealing aspects of The Polyvagal Solution is its practical, user-friendly approach. Kase doesn’t try to overhaul your entire lifestyle or overwhelm you with unrealistic expectations. Instead, she offers small, manageable steps to help you tune into your body and cultivate more calm.

Think breathing exercises, gentle movement, vagus nerve stimulation, grounding techniques, and sensory regulation strategies you can incorporate in real time. The book also provides a framework for building your personalized stress toolkit, so you can respond to overwhelm before it gets out of hand.

Rather than offering generic advice, Kase encourages readers to explore their nervous system and become more attuned to their own unique signs of dysregulation. Are you feeling shut down? Irritable? Scattered? These may be signals that your vagus nerve could use some support.

Why Now?

In a post-pandemic world where burnout is prevalent and resilience often feels out of reach, The Polyvagal Solution arrives at an especially timely moment. The book acknowledges the reality that many of us are balancing too much work, family, technology, and expectations and offers us permission to slow down and care for ourselves without guilt.

Stress, anxiety, and emotional overload aren’t just mental issues; they’re also physiological ones. And this book reminds us that healing doesn’t always require lengthy therapy sessions or immersive retreats. Sometimes, it can start with a single breath, a hand on your heart, or a brief walk in the sunshine.

Kase also recognizes the connection between nervous system health and overall success. As someone who coaches business leaders and entrepreneurs, she sees firsthand how chronic stress can affect creativity, confidence, and decision-making. Resetting your nervous system isn’t only about feeling better — it’s about functioning better in all areas of life.

From Surviving to Thriving

One of the key takeaways from the book is that it’s possible to move beyond survival mode. We can train our nervous systems to recover more quickly from stress, recognize when we’re becoming dysregulated, and develop habits that support long-term well-being.

The practices in The Polyvagal Solution are not about suppressing emotions or forcing positive thinking. Instead, they teach you how to navigate life’s challenges with more steadiness and less internal chaos. You’ll learn to identify your “state,” shift into regulation, and gradually build a more resilient nervous system over time.

While Kase’s approach is compassionate, she doesn’t sugarcoat the reality: healing takes effort, and nervous system regulation requires ongoing practice. But it’s achievable — and this book makes the process feel attainable.

A Book for Our Times

As mental health conversations become more mainstream, The Polyvagal Solution taps into the growing demand for resources that are both grounded in science and genuinely helpful in everyday life. It avoids the overly clinical language often found in therapy books while steering clear of vague wellness clichés. It’s real, relatable, and refreshingly honest.

If you’ve explored everything from meditation apps to stress supplements and still feel like your system is stuck in overdrive, this book may be just what you need. It doesn’t promise perfection — it emphasizes progress.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider, therapist, or other professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.