Why "just relaxing" fails when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode

Occupational medicine physician and life coach Claudine Holt discusses her article "Nervous system dysregulation vs. stress: Why 'just relaxing' doesn’t work." Claudine challenges the common advice to treat burnout with self-care like massages or vacations. She explains that for many, stress is not a mindset issue but a physiological state of the nervous system. The conversation highlights how behaviors like perfectionism and people-pleasing are actually adaptive survival strategies, not character flaws. Claudine argues that when the body is stuck in a fight-or-flight state, relaxation actually feels dangerous. She advocates for "bottom-up" somatic approaches rather than willpower or cognitive therapies alone. Discover why healing requires updating the nervous system's safety cues rather than just trying to force calm.

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