In this episode, Lauren and Jessica explore the fourth stage of the Five Ives framework—Thrive—where individuals and organizations are aligned with their goals and truly "living the dream." Thriving means healthy communication and the ability to regulation emotions quickly. It builds on the healing work of earlier stages like Revive and Strive and emphasizes the importance of social connection for long-term well-being. At this stage, fulfillment, alignment, and meaningful relationships are at the core of sustained success.

Other related resources from Five Ives:

Blog Post:

• Why Traditional Employee Wellness Programs Fail (And What Works Instead)
• Survive Mode: Recognizing When Your Organization is in Crisis
• What are the Five Ives?

Podcast:

• Strive- The Third Stage of the Five Ives
• Revive- The Second Stage of the Five Ives
• Survive- The First Stage of the Five Ives
• What are the Five Ives?
• A Five Category Regulation Framework - Five Ives!
• Using Our 5-Category Regulation Framework in the Workplace
• Impacting Organizational Culture: Explaining the First 2 Ps
• Impacting Organization Culture: Explaining the Second 2 Ps

Our Online Programs:

• Behavior Breakthrough
• Policing Under Pressure
• Board Governance Training

Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about Stress, Trauma, Behavior and the Brain!

• Check out our Facebook Group – Five Ives!
• Five Ives Website website
• The Behavior Hub blog

If you’re looking for support as you grow your organization’s capacity for caring for staff and the community, we would love to be part of that journey.
Schedule a free discovery call and let us be your guide

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this episode, Lauren and Jessica dive into the second stage of the Five Ives framework: Revive. After becoming self-aware and stepping out of pure survival mode, the journey into Revive is all about beginning the slow, intentional process of healing. It’s not quick or flashy—in fact, healing is inherently soft, gentle, and gradual. This stage is about rewiring our brains and taking consistent micro-steps forward, both individually and as an organization. Lauren and Jessica explore what it starts to feel like as we shift out of survival and begin to nurture ourselves with care and attention.

They highlight five key areas—food, hydration, sleep, social interaction, and movement—as foundational to this healing process. Even simple actions like adding one nutritious food to your plate, drinking more water, or getting ten minutes of daily movement can make a real impact. For organizations, supporting Revive might look like offering meditation spaces, encouraging real breaks, or fostering safe spaces for social connection. Whether you’re an individual wanting to heal or a leader supporting your team, Revive is about embracing the slow, steady path to well-being.

Resources:

Peanut App

Other related resources from Five Ives:

Blog Post:

• What are the Five Ives?
• Why Traditional Employee Wellness Programs Fail (And What Works Instead)
• Survive Mode: Recognizing When Your Organization is in Crisis
• What are the Five Ives?

Podcast:

• Survive- The First Stage of the Five Ives
• A Five Category Regulation Framework - Five Ives!
• Using Our 5-Category Regulation Framework in the Workplace
• Impacting Organizational Culture: Explaining the First 2 Ps
• Impacting Organization Culture: Explaining the Second 2 Ps

Our Online Programs:

• Behavior Breakthrough
• Policing Under Pressure
• Board Governance Training

Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about Stress, Trauma, Behavior and the Brain!

• Check out our Facebook Group – Five Ives!
• Five Ives Website website
• The Behavior Hub blog

If you’re looking for support as you grow your organization’s capacity for caring for staff and the community, we would love to be part of that journey.
Schedule a free discovery call and let us be your guide

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this episode, Lauren and Jessica continue their exploration of the Five Ives, focusing on the third stage—Strive. They unpack what it means to be in the Strive phase, both for organizations and individuals. For organizations, a positive culture in this stage is built through intentional inclusion and collaboration at all levels, supported by transparent decision-making and guidance from external coaches. When people feel heard and informed, they’re more engaged and motivated to move forward.

For individuals and businesses alike, Strive is about pacing yourself and setting smart, attainable micro-goals. Lauren and Jessica emphasize the importance of realistic, habit-based steps that support bigger, audacious dreams. Progress doesn’t have to be loud or fast—it just has to be steady and intentional. And importantly, they remind listeners not to let unhealthy voices dictate the healing process. You are capable of big things—just keep it simple and stay consistent.

Resources:

Jim Kwik

Other related resources from Five Ives:

Blog Post:

• Why Traditional Employee Wellness Programs Fail (And What Works Instead)
• Survive Mode: Recognizing When Your Organization is in Crisis
• What are the Five Ives?

Podcast:

• Revive- The Second Stage of the Five Ives
• Survive- The First Stage of the Five Ives
• What are the Five Ives?
• A Five Category Regulation Framework - Five Ives!
• Using Our 5-Category Regulation Framework in the Workplace
• Impacting Organizational Culture: Explaining the First 2 Ps
• Impacting Organization Culture: Explaining the Second 2 Ps

Our Online Programs:

• Behavior Breakthrough
• Policing Under Pressure
• Board Governance Training

Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about Stress, Trauma, Behavior and the Brain!

• Check out our Facebook Group – Five Ives!
• Five Ives Website website
• The Behavior Hub blog

If you’re looking for support as you grow your organization’s capacity for caring for staff and the community, we would love to be part of that journey.
Schedule a free discovery call and let us be your guide

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this episode, Lauren and Jessica reintroduce the Five Ives—Survive, Revive, Strive, Thrive, and Hive—and take a closer look at the first step: Survive. They explore how many people today are unknowingly stuck in a state of survival, shaped by trauma, chronic stress, the lingering effects of the pandemic, political unrest, and the constant stream of heavy information. Most don’t even realize they’re operating from this place, but the signs are clear: constant exhaustion, mood swings, avoidance, and a gut feeling that something just isn’t right.

Survival mode doesn’t stop with individuals—it shows up in organizations too. High turnover, disengagement, and burnout often indicate that an entire workplace is stuck in survival. Lauren and Jessica explain that when people within an organization are just trying to get by, the organization itself reflects that same struggle. But there’s hope. Whether you're an individual or part of a team, recognizing survival mode is the first step toward meaningful change—and you don’t have to stay stuck. We can help.

Other related resources from Five Ives:

Blog Post:

• What are the Five Ives?
• Why Traditional Employee Wellness Programs Fail (And What Works Instead)
• Survive Mode: Recognizing When Your Organization is in Crisis
• What are the Five Ives?

Podcast:

• A Five Category Regulation Framework - Five Ives!
• Using Our 5-Category Regulation Framework in the Workplace
• Impacting Organizational Culture: Explaining the First 2 Ps
• Impacting Organization Culture: Explaining the Second 2 Ps

Our Online Programs:

• Behavior Breakthrough
• Policing Under Pressure
• Board Governance Training

Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about Stress, Trauma, Behavior and the Brain!

• Check out our Facebook Group – Five Ives!
• Five Ives Website website
• The Behavior Hub blog

If you’re looking for support as you grow your organization’s capacity for caring for staff and the community, we would love to be part of that journey.
Schedule a free discovery call and let us be your guide

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Lauren and Jessica, education professionals and creators of the Five Ives program, explain their journey. Witnessing students' disruptive behaviors as trauma responses, they realized their lack of training. Years of supporting individuals revealed a broader issue: burnout among those in flawed systems. This prompted them to explore how to support frontline workers and foster trauma-informed organizations.

They introduce the Five Ives framework for well-being: Survive (self-awareness), Revive (self-care and regulation), Strive (intentional growth), Thrive (engaged and regulated work), and Hive (helping others and connecting). Five Ives aims to create sustainable, trauma-informed organizational transformation through these stages.

Resources:

• Dr. Stephen Porges Website

Other related resources from Five Ives:

Blog Post:

• Why Traditional Employee Wellness Programs Fail (And What Works Instead)
• Survive Mode: Recognizing When Your Organization is in Crisis
• What are the Five Ives?

Podcast:

• A Five Category Regulation Framework - Five Ives!
• Using Our 5-Category Regulation Framework in the Workplace
• Impacting Organizational Culture: Explaining the First 2 Ps
• Impacting Organization Culture: Explaining the Second 2 Ps

Our Online Programs:

• Behavior Breakthrough
• Policing Under Pressure
• Board Governance Training

Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about Stress, Trauma, Behavior and the Brain!

• Check out our Facebook Group – Five Ives!
• Five Ives Website website
• The Behavior Hub blog

If you’re looking for support as you grow your organization’s capacity for caring for staff and the community, we would love to be part of that journey.
Schedule a free discovery call and let us be your guide

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this episode of the Returning to Us Podcast, Lauren announces the show’s move to the Five IVES website and wraps up the nervous system series with a look at hormones. Cortisol and Adrenaline—our “stress squad”—can throw us off balance, but Oxytocin, the “love hormone,” helps restore calm and bring us back into our Window of Tolerance.

Lauren shares simple, science-backed ways to boost Oxytocin—like hugs, eye contact, and laughter—that support mood, sleep, and nervous system regulation. She reminds us that while hormones impact how we feel, they don’t have to take over. Small, mindful actions can help us reclaim calm and clarity.

If you haven't already, check out Five Ives to see how strategies like this can be applied to adults, especially in the workplace. Five Ives works with staff in high burnout jobs to help them incorporate regulation strategies into their daily routines.

Try it at home tip: Try any of the tips suggested in the last few episodes about nervous system regulation.

Other related resources from The Behavior Hub:

Blog Post:

• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Fight or Flight: Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
• Rest & Digest: Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)

Podcast:

• Understandig Heart Rate Vulnerability: Tools for a More Regulated Nervous System
• From Stuck to Safe: A Deeper Dive to Rewiring Your Nervous System After Freeze & Fawn
• Why Freeze State Happens in Two Different Ways (and Why it Matters)
• Cold Exposure: How the Cold Can Calm your Nervous System
• Beyond Deep Breaths: Surprising Ways to Reset your System
• Find Your Way Back to the Window of Tolerance
• I Can't Stop Talking about the Nervous System
• 5 Ives episode

Our Online Courses:

• Classroom Design with the Brain in Mind
• From Conflict to Calm: How to communicate with kids so they listen the FIRST time!
• 4 Simple Steps to Problem Solving

Do you have a question? I can answer it in a future episode!

• Email questions to podcast@thebehaviorhub.com or send via text to 717-693-7744.
• Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about the Emotional Brain.
• Check out our Facebook Group – Raising and Teaching Respectful Children
• The Behavior Hub website
• The Behavior Hub blog

Are you struggling with behaviors and not sure where to begin? Let me help!
Schedule a free discovery call

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In this episode, Lauren dives into the importance of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and how it reflects the state of your nervous system. She shares seven practical ways to support and improve HRV—like cold water exposure, humming, singing, rhythm, eye movement, laughter, caring touch, and play-based activities. Her message is clear: if you're feeling tired or overwhelmed, your nervous system is asking for help. The good news? You now have some simple tools to support it. Don't worry about being perfect—just aim for progress.

If you haven't already, check out Five Ives to see how strategies like this can be applied to adults, especially in the workplace. Five Ives works with staff in high burnout jobs to help them incorporate regulation strategies into their daily routines.

Resources:

• Stephen W. Porges, PhD- Polyvagal Theory
• Elite HRV
• Welltory

Other related resources from The Behavior Hub:

Blog Post:

• Polyvagal Theory
• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Fight or Flight: Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
• Rest & Digest: Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)

Podcast:

• From Stuck to Safe: A Deeper Dive to Rewiring Your Nervous System After Freeze & Fawn
• Why Freeze State Happens in Two Different Ways (and Why it Matters)
• Cold Exposure: How the Cold Can Calm your Nervous System
• Beyond Deep Breaths: Surprising Ways to Reset your System
• Find Your Way Back to the Window of Tolerance
• I Can't Stop Talking about the Nervous System
• 5 Ives episode

Our Online Courses:

• Classroom Design with the Brain in Mind
• From Conflict to Calm: How to communicate with kids so they listen the FIRST time!
• 4 Simple Steps to Problem Solving

Do you have a question? I can answer it in a future episode!

• Email questions to podcast@thebehaviorhub.com or send via text to 717-693-7744.
• Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about the Emotional Brain.
• Check out our Facebook Group – Raising and Teaching Respectful Children
• The Behavior Hub website
• The Behavior Hub blog

Are you struggling with behaviors and not sure where to begin? Let me help!
Schedule a free discovery call

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’ve ever felt frozen in stress or stuck in people-pleasing mode, you’re not alone. But knowing why you freeze or fawn is just the first step—the real transformation comes from learning how to shift into safety and resilience.

Your nervous system isn’t meant to stay stuck—it’s designed to adapt. And with the right tools, you can start creating a sense of safety from the inside out.

If you haven't already, check out Five Ives to see how strategies like this can be applied to adults, especially in the workplace. Five Ives works with staff in high burnout jobs to help them incorporate regulation strategies into their daily routines.

Try at Home Tip: Pick one small way to practice nervous system flexibility from some of the options provided in this episode.

Other related resources from The Behavior Hub:

Blog Post:

• Polyvagal Theory
• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Fight or Flight: Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
• Rest & Digest: Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)

Podcast:

• Why Freeze State Happens in Two Different Ways (and Why it Matters)
• Nature's Role in Nervous System Regulation
• Rhythms That Regulate
• Cold Exposure: How the Cold Can Calm your Nervous System
• Beyond Deep Breaths: Surprising Ways to Reset your System
• Sounds That Heal
• Find Your Way Back to the Window of Tolerance
• I Can't Stop Talking about the Nervous System
• 5 Ives episode
• Hacking our Biology to Respond to Impulsive Behaviors

Our Online Courses:

• Classroom Design with the Brain in Mind
• From Conflict to Calm: How to communicate with kids so they listen the FIRST time!
• 4 Simple Steps to Problem Solving

Do you have a question? I can answer it in a future episode!

• Email questions to podcast@thebehaviorhub.com or send via text to 717-693-7744.
• Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about the Emotional Brain.
• Check out our Facebook Group – Raising and Teaching Respectful Children
• The Behavior Hub website
• The Behavior Hub blog

Are you struggling with behaviors and not sure where to begin? Let me help!
Schedule a free discovery call

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.