Managing Your Own “Zoomies”: The Art of the Human Reset
By iKE ALLEN, Happy Healthy Dog Co-Founder
I’ve had several wonderful dogs in my life, but Twinkles was the most committed to “zoomies.” If you’ve lived with a dog for more than five minutes, you know the “zoomies.” It’s that sudden, frantic burst of energy where they sprint around the coffee table, tuck their butt under, and fly across the yard like they’ve just been shot out of a cannon.
Why do they do it? Usually, it’s because they’ve got a build-up of nervous energy or excitement that just has to go somewhere. It’s their body’s way of hitting the pressure-release valve.
Here’s the [ReThink] for today: Humans get the zoomies, too. We just don’t usually sprint through the living room (though, hey, no judgment if you do!). Instead, our zoomies look like snapping at our partner, frantically checking our phone for the 50th time, or pacing around the kitchen because we’re too overwhelmed to start dinner.
The Build-Up
In our world, we call this “emotional dysregulation” or just plain old burnout. We spend all day absorbing stress—traffic, emails, bills, news—and we don’t always give ourselves a way to let it out. So, like a dog who’s been inside too long, we eventually “zoom.” We get irritable, anxious, or just plain frantic.
The difference is that a dog knows exactly what they need: to move, to breathe, and then to flop down for a nap. We, on the other hand, tend to try and “push through” it, which only makes the pressure build up even more.
[ReThink] Your Energy: Learning to Self-Soothe
When your dog finishes their zoomies, they don’t feel guilty about it. They don’t apologize for being “too much.” They just regulate their system and move on. What if we treated our own “frantic moments” with that same practical care?
The [ReThink] Exercise: The Zoomie Audit
The next time you feel that “human zoomie” energy—that frantic, buzzy, overwhelmed feeling—pause for a second and run through this checklist:
- Identify the Build-Up: What’s one thing that’s been adding “pressure” to your day today? (A long meeting? Lack of sleep? Too much caffeine?)
- The Physical Release: A dog uses their body to reset. What’s one physical thing you can do right now to release that energy? (A 30-second dance party, a brisk walk to the mailbox, or just ten deep “belly breaths”?)
- The Flop: After the zoomies comes the rest. What’s one way you can “flop” for five minutes today to let your nervous system actually settle? (Put the phone in another room, close your eyes, or just sit quietly with your pup.)
The Bottom Line
We aren’t robots meant to run at 100% all day long. We’re biological beings with nervous systems that need to be managed.
The next time you feel like you’re about to spin out, take a cue from your dog. Don’t fight the energy—release it! Give yourself permission to have your “human zoomies,” and then give yourself permission to rest. You’ll find that when you manage your energy like a dog does, you’ll have a lot more “wag” and a lot less “bark” in your day.
