Are We Living Too Fast for Our Nervous Systems?

Are We Living Too Fast for Our Nervous Systems?

This week I noticed something, and it has stayed with me.

It feels like something happening more and more in the world, and as it happens it affects how we deal with pressure, family life, and how we feel as people.

And that is technology.

Now I’m not saying technology is bad… but have you ever thought that as technology has improved, the pressure on us to work faster and produce almost perfect work has become so much greater?

And this seems to extend into all areas of life.

There can be this unspoken pressure to keep up.

To do more.

To respond quicker.

To be more productive.

Sometimes it can feel as though adults are expected to give almost as much as the AI so often used to help.

But we are human.

And with all this pressure I keep wondering—

are many of us living with our stress response activated more often than our bodies were designed for?

Because stress, in moments, can help us respond.

It can help us focus.

It can help us rise to challenge.

But what happens when pressure stops being a moment…and becomes a way of living?

Maybe we keep functioning.

Maybe we keep producing.

Maybe outwardly everything looks fine.

But underneath we may feel tired.

Reactive.

Disconnected.

Critical of ourselves.

And I wonder whether that constant state of “doing” comes at a cost.

So how do we adapt before burnout?

How do we help ourselves cope—and still be happy?

How do we avoid the burnout that seems to touch so much of society?

I’ve been thinking maybe part of it is learning not to battle anxiety so much.

Maybe developing a gentler relationship with it.

Understanding it.

Listening to what it may be signalling.

Nurturing our bodies so our brains can begin to understand—

we are okay, even in stress.

That our feelings are valid.

That we can offer a supporting hand to ourselves through grounding, breathing, gentle reframes and self-compassion.

And maybe through continuous practice, coming back to these tools again and again, we may begin strengthening new neural pathways.

Teaching our bodies a different response to pressure.

Learning how to work with activation in pressured moments so anxiety is less likely to tip into burnout…

or into the kind of negativity that can become self-criticism.

Maybe anxiety does not always have to be something we fight.

Maybe some of that energy, when understood and regulated, can support us in healthier ways.

That feels hopeful to me.

Because perhaps resilience is not pushing through until we break—

but learning how to support ourselves while we carry pressure.

A Small Practice to Try

If this resonates, maybe try something small.

A grounding practice I often share is the Knee Hug Reset

Sit somewhere you feel supported.

Gently bring your knees in and hold them.

Let your feet feel grounded.

Breathe:

In for 4.

Hold for 2.

Out for 6.

Stay for a few breaths.

Notice the support beneath you.

Maybe lightly tap your fingertips across your knees.

And gently remind your body:

I am here. I am safe. I can soften.

If it helps, imagine yourself held in warmth and safety, like a cocoon around you.

Simple practices can help the body remember calm.

And if this speaks to you and you’d like support exploring this together, I’d be glad to walk alongside you.

You don’t have to do it alone.

— Geneve