Post-Burnout Dysregulation

So you’re on vacation and you’re still feeling stressed. Or the busy period at work is over, but there's a lingering anxiety that won't go away.

Just relax already! RE. LAX. You’re desperate to chill out, but you can’t.

It’s not only you. It’s not your fault. And it’s not that you’re bad at relaxing.

You could be in a post-trauma or post-burnout dysregulation state, where your body and nervous system are no longer in an active crisis, but they haven’t fully recalibrated to a sense of safety.

It’s like your mind knows things are okay, but your body is still operating as if it’s in survival mode.

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been overactivated for an extended period. When stress or trauma is prolonged, your body adapts by staying on high alert. Even when the external threat or demand is gone, your nervous system doesn’t always recognize that it’s time to power down.

There might be a sense of hypervigilance, restlessness, or feeling on edge, because your sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) is still running. Or maybe your parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest) is trying to kick in but struggles, so you’re exhausted, experiencing brain fog, or feeling emotionally flat.

I won’t say it’s an easy quick fix, but if you’re reading this and thinking, “Super. Kewl. Now what?” – here’s a few ideas to retrain your nervous system to understand that safety is real and relaxation is ok:

• Body-Based Regulation: slow, controlled movement; somatic release (shaking, tapping, or body scanning); breathwork

• Reassociating Relaxation with Safety: small doses of slowing down instead of forcing full relaxation; gentle routines that signal safety

• Nervous System Completion Work: tension & release exercises; physiological sighs; physical expression of safety (humming, rocking)

• Rewiring the Brain’s Expectations: journaling prompts (How do I know I’m okay right now?); practicing doing nothing for 2 minutes at a time; co-regulation with others

Interested in workshops for your organization? Book a call and let’s chat.