Is Your Nervous System in Survival Mode? How Chronic Stress Disrupts Your Body’s Rhythm

You’ve been pushing through. Preparing for the holidays, Managing the deadlines. Getting the kids where they need to go. Making decisions for your household, your work, and your relationships. It’s a lot. And while you’re getting things done, your body might be quietly waving a red flag.

That deep fatigue. The short fuse. The looping thoughts. The tight chest or that stomach that won’t quite settle. These could all be signs that your nervous system is stuck in survival mode—something called nervous system dysregulation.

In my work with clients across Maine, New York, Georgia, and Florida, I’ve found that once people understand how stress affects their bodies—not just their minds—they finally start to feel some relief. Because the issue isn’t that you’re “broken” or “bad” at coping. It’s that your body’s internal rhythms have been overwhelmed.

What Is Nervous System Regulation?

Your nervous system is your body’s observation and communication center. It constantly monitors your environment to decide if you're safe or not—and it responds automatically.

When you feel grounded, connected, and calm, your nervous system is in what's called a regulated state. In this state, digestion works well. Breathing is smooth. Sleep comes more easily. You feel like yourself.

But when stress becomes chronic or trauma is present (even if it’s old, like childhood trauma or very, very old like intergenerational trauma), your system can shift into survival mode. That means it’s trying to protect you by activating fight, flight, or freeze responses. Over time, this throws your whole body off balance.

The Hidden Toll of Chronic Stress

Our daily lives ask a lot of us. The brain’s thinking center, called the prefrontal cortex, is often overloaded—managing the logistics of parenting, work, relationships, finances, and more. Over time, this mental load can drain your energy and disconnect you from your body’s natural signals.

On top of that, if you’ve experienced childhood adversity, relationship betrayal, health crises, accidents or sudden losses, your nervous system may already be working with a limited range of resilience.

How Nervous System Regulation Supports Healing

The good news is that your nervous system wants to return to balance. It’s wired for resilience. But it needs the right conditions to do so.

In my practice, I use listening therapies Rest & Restore Protocol (RRP) and the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to manage anxiety and help clients reconnect with their body’s ability to feel safe and steady again. I also use Brainspotting and EMDR therapy to help with nervous system regulation, especially where past trauma is present. Although, these can help when there is no known trauma present.

You Are Not Meant to Be in Survival Mode Forever

So many people believe they have to “push through” or “fix themselves” with more effort. But nervous system healing is not about trying harder. It’s about doing things differently—often more softly, more slowly, and with more support.

Ready to Explore What Regulation Could Feel Like?

If you’re curious about how nervous system regulation can help with your sleep, anxiety, digestion, or general overwhelm, I’d love to talk with you. I work with clients virtually across Maine, New York, Georgia, and Florida, and in-person in Decatur, GA using body-based methods that go beyond talk therapy to help you feel safer, stronger, and more alive in your own skin.

👉 Click here to schedule a free 20-minute consultation