01/30/2026
In acute situations, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are adaptive. They mobilize the body to respond to immediate danger: a moment that requires fast action.
The nervous system is designed for short bursts of activation followed by resolution.
đ Sustained stress is different.
When stress becomes ongoing, the body stays activated without ever completing the action it prepared for. Over time, this can show up as:
⢠Chronic hypervigilance
⢠Exhaustion
⢠Irritability
⢠Emotional numbness
⢠A constant state of alert
Regulation in this case doesnât mean forcing calm or positive thinking. But rather, helping the body finish what it started.
What that can look like in practice:
⢠Movement rather than stillness
Walking, stretching, shaking it out, pushing against a wall, changing physical position to restore a sense of agency
⢠Naming the threat out loud
Saying, âThis feels unsafe,â or âMy body is (understandably) reacting,â
Silence can feel like betrayal to the nervous system
⢠Orienting to the present moment
Noticing what is happening in the body and in the environment, without jumping ahead to what might happen
This works because the nervous system is not soothed by logic or positivity. Itâs soothed by safety, completion of stress responses, and connection to reality.
Soothing does not mean disengaging from what is hard.
It means staying connected without carrying the weight alone.
