Nervous System Reminders
Our nervous systems were not designed for the volume of information we now absorb each day. They evolved for immediate environments, face-to-face connection and short bursts of stress. Not for 24-hour news cycles, constant alerts, global crises and an expectation of continuous availability.
Yet many of my clients, both individuals and organisations, operate as if being always on is a marker of commitment or responsibility. From a psychological and physiological perspective, I’m always quick to tell them, that this is unsustainable. In fact, many of them arrive to my office having discovered that for themselves. They are burned out, feeling like a failure and out of ideas.
The nervous system regulates through rhythm. Activation followed by rest. Focus followed by recovery. When stimulation is constant, the system remains in a low-grade state of threat. Over time, this shows up as anxiety, irritability, emotional exhaustion, disengagement or burnout.
For individuals, this can feel like never quite switching off. Many of my clients report reduced creativity, shortened patience and decision fatigue that quietly ripples through their teams. These are not personal or professional failures. They are predictable human responses to overload. The system that encourages these behaviours are the failures, not the individuals who did what they were told, with the best of intentions.
This is why wellbeing and self care agendas are more critical now than ever. Not as perks or add-ons, but as foundations for sustainable functioning. More and more organisations are going beyond paying mere lip-service to their well-being agendas. The understand that real self care is not avoidance or indulgence. It is nervous system literacy.
When I am working at an individual level, some suggestions might include:
Setting limits around news and social media consumption
Creating deliberate pauses during the day
Prioritising sleep, movement and sensory regulation
Allowing periods of non-productivity without guilt
At a leadership and organisational level, my Leaders can now often be seen to be:
Modelling boundaries rather than glorifying overwork
Normalising recovery as part of performance
Designing roles and workloads that allow for human limits
Understanding that psychological safety begins with regulation, not resilience slogans
Chronic exposure to distress without recovery can lead to compassion fatigue and emotional numbing. People do not stop caring because they are indifferent. They stop because their systems are overwhelmed. Wellbeing practices help widen the window of tolerance, the zone in which people can stay present, thoughtful and emotionally available without tipping into overwhelm or shutdown. These practices then in turn accelerate productivity and success on all levels.
This matters deeply for organisations. Regulated people communicate better, make wiser decisions and sustain effort over time. Regulated leaders create cultures where others can do the same. These practices always translate to better bottom line metrics.
Rest is not disengagement from the world or from work. It is how we stay capable of meeting both. In an always-on culture, choosing limits, rhythm and nervous system care is quietly radical. It is an investment in long-term capacity, not a retreat from responsibility.
Wellbeing is no longer optional. For individuals and organisations alike, it is what allows us to remain human, effective and connected in a world that rarely slows down.
If you or your organisation would like to hear about simple, evidence-based approaches to permeating wellbeing in your life and organisation culture, then I’d love to hear from you.