17/07/2025
“Just relax” sounds simple, but for many adults caught in chronic stress or anxiety, it’s not that easy. That phrase can feel dismissive or even impossible because relaxation isn’t just a switch you flip with willpower. It’s a complex biological process governed by the nervous system.
When your body is stuck in survival mode—whether due to ongoing stress, trauma, or unresolved nervous system dysregulation—telling yourself or others to “relax” doesn’t work because the nervous system isn’t actually ready to calm down. The brain and body remain on high alert, stuck in a loop of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.
True relaxation comes from regulation:
The nervous system needs to move from a state of hyperarousal or shutdown into safety and balance. This means activating the parasympathetic nervous system—often called the “rest and digest” system—that allows your heart rate to slow, your breathing to deepen, and your muscles to soften.
But how do you get there?
It’s not about forcing calm; it’s about supporting the nervous system to feel safe enough to shift naturally. Techniques like gentle movement, breathwork, mindful spinal care (like Network Spinal), and somatic therapies guide the nervous system out of survival mode and into regulation.
When you regulate, your body can actually relax, your mind can focus, and your emotions can settle—because you’re no longer trying to override a biological alarm system that’s still ringing.
Next time you or someone you know is struggling to “just relax,” remember: it’s not laziness or weakness. It’s biology. And biology requires care, patience, and nervous system support to heal.
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