Why Your Nervous System Might Be Keeping You Stuck in Overwhelm

You’re not struggling to be a calm parent because you don’t know how to stop shouting or respond better. The reason you feel guilty when you lay your head down at night is because you do know better – that’s not the problem.

The problem is your nervous system is so out of balance that you can’t help but react. You can’t help but have your own little meltdown. It’s not because you don’t want to be calm and mindful, it’s simply a stress response.

Why Your Nervous System Might Be Keeping You Stuck in Overwhelm

If you’re the default parent—the one who takes on everyone’s emotional wellbeing, anticipates every need, and stays “on” from the moment you wake up to the moment you finally collapse into bed—you probably know what it feels like to live in a constant state of high alert. Your nervous system is always scanning, always bracing, always ready for the next thing.

Maybe you notice it in the tension in your shoulders, the way your heart races when your child calls your name for the hundredth time, or how even small inconveniences feel like they could tip you over the edge. It’s not because you aren’t capable. It’s not because you aren’t trying hard enough. It’s because your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

Why Does This Happen?

Our nervous system is designed to protect us. When it perceives a threat—even if that “threat” is just your kid demanding your attention as soon as you’ve sat down—it activates a stress response. Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. And when we don’t have enough opportunities to shift out of this state, we get stuck there. Over time, this chronic stress can make it feel impossible to relax, even when we have the chance.

Supporting Your Nervous System (Without Adding Another To-Do)

You don’t need a week-long retreat to reset your nervous system (though that sounds amazing, right?). Small, intentional moments of regulation throughout your day can make a huge difference.

Here’s what that can look like:

1. Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique)

Tapping is a powerful tool for calming the nervous system in real time. By gently tapping on specific meridian points, you send a signal to your brain that you are safe. Try it the next time you feel your stress rising—just a few rounds of tapping can bring you back into your body and help you respond, rather than react.

2. Yoga & Intentional Stress Exposure

Yoga isn’t just about relaxation (though these kinds of practices will help too) —it’s also about resilience. Holding challenging poses teaches your body how to experience stress and breathe through it, rather than getting stuck in panic. Over time, this practice builds a sense of inner strength and calm that extends far beyond the mat.

3. Moments of Rest (That Aren’t Just Sleep)

Of course, quality sleep is essential, but your nervous system also needs moments of deep awake rest throughout the day.

• Laying down for a few minutes with your eyes closed (yoga nidra is amazing for this!)
• Taking slow, intentional breaths
• Sitting in stillness while your kids play around you
• Listening to calming music or binaural beats Even just a few moments of true rest can help reset your system.

You Deserve to Feel Regulated

If you’ve been feeling stuck in overwhelm, you’re not failing. Your nervous system has just been working overtime to keep you safe. But just as it learned to stay in high alert, it can also learn to shift into a state of calm.

And here’s the best part—you’re not in this alone. I’m here to support you with tools, practices, and reminders that you are already enough—even in the messy, chaotic, overstimulating moments.

Family Yoga Together

Reset with my calm and connect series – 7 days of parent and child practices all under 15 minutes so you can find more ease in your day together.

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