Why The Nerve of Her.

Everything you do at work works better when you understand and can work with your nervous system. That’s why The Nerve of Her exists.

Understanding your nervous system lets you decide in the moment what step to take next, how to engage with the people in the room, when to lean in, and when to pivot because the result you want isn’t available right now.

There’s more and more pressure on people, higher expectations than ever before to understand and use new technologies, more information arriving than anyone can consume and make sense of. Knowing why you respond the way you do in the moment, and how to use your nervous system throughout the day, helps you optimize your time and reduce exhaustion and frustration.

Humans process credibility in real time. We assess trustworthiness and competence in milliseconds, and most of us have no idea it’s happening. We spend our attention and energy on what we’re presenting, sharing, or moving forward, and almost none on the state we’re in while we do it.

Your state is critical; it shapes your own access to creativity and higher-order thinking, as well as how other people read you. Being unaware of it can put you on the back foot before you’ve said anything.

It shows up in situations you’ll recognize:

• Your stomach clenches as your boss shares expectations for an upcoming project.
• You’re running from meeting to meeting, in person or virtual, and find yourself checking email while you’re meant to be focused on something else.
• You’re exhausted at the end of each day, feeling like you’re just getting through.
• You’re leading a meeting, trying to get engagement, and the faces looking back tell you they’re not with you, and you’re not sure what to do.
• Your ability to be creative and problem-solve is limited exactly when you need it most.