Welcome to The 28-Day Nervous System Reset
Created by Glenn Ostlund, MA, MS, LAC
Licensed Therapist | Spirit of Sonora Counseling & Wellness
Licensed Therapist | Spirit of Sonora Counseling & Wellness
This podcast series was developed to support clients in and between therapy sessions using the power of sound-based neural entrainment. The meditations in this 28-day program are designed to gently guide your nervous system out of stress and hyperarousal—and into a state of rest, awareness, and emotional clarity.
You’ll notice each track features soft narration layered with binaural audio beats—subtle sound frequencies played separately in each ear. When used with headphones or earbuds, these frequencies can help guide your brain into relaxed and receptive states like theta and alpha, which are associated with reduced anxiety, improved focus, and deeper emotional processing.
Why “Reset” the Nervous System?
Your nervous system is constantly adapting to perceived stress or safety. In chronic stress or trauma states, it can get stuck in patterns of overactivation—tight muscles, racing thoughts, irritability, or emotional numbness. These daily sound meditations are a way of signaling safety back into the system. Over 28 days, the goal is to retrain your baseline—to help your body relearn what calm feels like, and make it easier to return there.
The process is subtle but powerful. As your brain and body experience the same soothing signals day after day, the cumulative effect can reduce emotional reactivity and increase your capacity for self-reflection, regulation, and therapeutic integration.
What the Research Says
Studies show that regular use of binaural beats may:
- Reduce anxiety and support emotional regulation (Padmanabhan et al., 2005; Basalic & Miclaus, 2024)
- Promote relaxation and improve sleep quality by reducing sleep latency (Lee et al., 2024; Fan et al., 2024)
- Support mood enhancement in depression when combined with standard care (Daengruan et al., 2021)
- Foster brainwave states associated with creativity, deep meditation, and parasympathetic restoration (Prediger et al., 2023)
Listening Guidelines
To get the full effect, headphones or earbuds are required.
Please listen in a quiet space where you can sit or lie down without interruption. Do not listen while driving or operating machinery.
Please listen in a quiet space where you can sit or lie down without interruption. Do not listen while driving or operating machinery.
This podcast is not a replacement for therapy, psychiatric care, or medication—but it is a powerful tool to help you prepare your mind and body for deeper healing, especially if you're currently working with Glenn or another licensed provider.
Risks and Precautions
Most listeners experience these meditations as calming and supportive. However, some people may experience:
- Mild headaches, overstimulation, or emotional release
- Fatigue or drowsiness after listening
- In rare cases, increased sensitivity if you have auditory processing disorders or neurological conditions (e.g., epilepsy)
You should stop listening if you feel discomfort and speak to your therapist before continuing.
Consent and Voluntary Use
By choosing to listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that:
- You are using this tool voluntarily as a wellness support
- You understand that the use of headphones is required for proper binaural effects
- You agree to stop if discomfort arises and reach out for professional help if needed
- You understand that no data is collected, and your participation is private and confidential
References
- Basalic, E. B., & Miclaus, R. S. (2024). The efficiency of binaural beats on anxiety and depression—A systematic review. Applied Sciences, 14(13), 5675. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135675
- Daengruan, P., et al. (2021). Receptive music therapy with 10 Hz binaural beats in patients with major depression. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 60, 102753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102753
- Fan, Z., et al. (2024). Binaural beats at 0.25 Hz shorten the latency to slow-wave sleep. Scientific Reports, 14, 26062. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-26062-y
- Lee, H.-A.-N., et al. (2024). Effect of dynamic binaural beats on sleep quality. Sleep, 47(10), zsae097. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsae097
- Padmanabhan, R., et al. (2005). Examining binaural beat audio and pre-operative anxiety. Anaesthesia, 60(9), 874–877. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04348.x
- Prediger, R. D., et al. (2023). Effects of acoustic neurostimulation on depression, anxiety, and sleep. Exploratory Research in Neuroprotective Therapy, 3, 481–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erend.2023.03.002
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