Why Can’t I Relax? When Rest Feels Unsafe to Your Nervous System
Have you ever sat down to relax and immediately felt restless, anxious, or guilty? You’re not alone. For many people, rest doesn’t feel safe—especially if their nervous system has been in survival mode for years.
At our North Sydney therapy space, we help individuals understand why rest is hard and how to gradually build a sense of safety in slowing down.
Why Rest Feels Unsafe
When you’ve spent much of your life being hypervigilant, responsible, or emotionally on edge, your nervous system may interpret rest as vulnerability. This can lead to:
Restlessness or agitation when trying to slow down
Feeling lazy or unproductive when you’re not doing something
Trouble falling or staying asleep
A need to stay busy to avoid uncomfortable emotions
The Role of the Nervous System
Rest resistance isn’t a personality flaw—it’s a nervous system response. In therapy, we work with the body to:
Recognise and regulate stress patterns
Use grounding tools to support safety in stillness
Reconnect with your parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state
Relearning Rest in Therapy
Therapy helps you build a new relationship with rest—one that doesn’t equate stillness with danger. We meet your nervous system where it’s at and move at a pace that feels manageable.
North Sydney Somatic Therapy
If you’re always on edge, therapy can help you find moments of calm that feel safe, not scary.
Book a session We offer in-person and online support for nervous system regulation and embodied healing.
