Feeling burned out or “stuck” at work? It’s not just your workload – it’s your nervous system. Because this part of us is programmed to react to certain situations in a way that is designed to trigger a fight/flight/freeze response. However, those situations are things like being chased by a lion or coming under attack. They shouldn’t include pressure at work or having a difficult conversation with a client – but they often do. Because your nervous system wiring needs reprogramming so it can stop sabotaging you.
3 ways your nervous system might be sabotaging you
Fight-or-flight dominates: Anxiety and tension make decision-making harder.
Chronic freeze: Feeling numb, unmotivated, or disconnected from your purpose.
Emotional residue: Unprocessed stress leaks into focus, creativity, and relationships.
Where does this come from?
Your nervous system programming is rooted in your childhood and will have evolved in the years since then into what it is today. For many of us that means we have a big response to perceived rejection, failure, conflict, stress, one that isn’t necessarily appropriate – and certainly isn’t helpful for solving the situation that triggered it. The good news is that this programming isn’t permanent, you can change it at any time. And that’s something we do in resilience coaching – it’s one of the reasons why nervous system is one of my key coaching pillars.
How does resilience coaching stop your nervous system sabotaging you?
Resilience coaching will help you to recognise these patterns and understand how you’ve got to where you are when it comes to the response you have. You’ll also learn how to reset your nervous system and “control” it. This doesn’t mean always being calm because our nervous systems are designed for that. It just means knowing how to navigate your nervous system and reduce the “inappropriate”too big” responses. Practices include:
- Breathwork to downshift stress.
- Micro-moments of awareness and grounding during the day.
- Tools to release trapped emotion.
- Using my tried and tested ways to introduce more calm e.g. with the vagus nerve.
Your nervous system isn’t your enemy – it’s your compass. Learn to regulate it.
📩 Download my free 5 Resilience Coaching Questions guide or book a free intro call.
