How To Know If Your Nervous System Is Dysregulated - And What To Do About It

July 30, 2025

It’s mid-summer, and my garden is bursting. Basil, oregano, parsley, garlic—thriving. Thanks to a season of intense heat and heavy rain, everything is growing more prolifically than usual. The weather’s been a bit of a pressure cooker… and yet, instead of wilting, the plants stretched, opened, and reached toward the sun.

It got me thinking: sometimes, stress fuels growth. But only when the system is resilient enough to handle it.

For many high achievers, that kind of balance is hard to come by. Instead of stretching toward the sun, we burn out. Because unlike the plants in my garden, we rarely give ourselves the conditions we need to truly thrive.

If you’ve ever wondered why stress seems to follow you—no matter how much you accomplish—it may be a sign that your nervous system is working against you, not with you.

What Is Nervous System Dysregulation (and Why It’s Not Just Anxiety or Burnout)?

We often think of stress as something that happens in our minds—a mindset issue, a failure to “cope.” But in reality, stress is a full-body experience, governed by the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Your ANS has two key branches:

• The sympathetic system (your accelerator) helps you take action under pressure.

• The parasympathetic system (your brake) helps you rest, digest, and heal.

In a healthy system, these two states flow in and out, like breath. But under chronic pressure—especially for those who have experienced trauma or long-term stress—the system can get stuck in survival mode.

This is called nervous system dysregulation. It’s when your body can’t easily return to calm, even when the external threat is over.

And you’d be surprised how quiet it can be.

Signs Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Survival Mode

Nervous system dysregulation doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes, it feels like:

🌀A racing mind and tight chest, even during downtime

💤Bone-deep fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix

🫄Digestive issues, tension headaches, or migraines

😡Irritability, reactivity, or emotional flatness

💔Feeling detached from joy, relationships, or even yourself

Most high achievers interpret these symptoms as personal failure or a lack of discipline. So, we push harder. Double down. Add more to the to-do list.

But here’s the truth: if your body is stuck in a survival loop, no amount of mindset work will override it.

Why High Performers Are More Likely to Burn Out

Let’s be honest: high performance often comes with a cost.

We’re praised for our drive, our ability to keep going, our “resilience.” But beneath that success is often a nervous system that’s been conditioned to survive—not rest.

Many high achievers live in a state of chronic hyperarousal—always scanning for the next

deadline, danger, or demand. And when we do try to slow down? It doesn’t feel good. It feels unsafe, unfamiliar, or unproductive.

So we stay in motion. Even when our bodies are asking us to stop.

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re stuck in a physiological pattern that helped you survive—but is now holding you back.

How to Regulate Your Nervous System and Feel Like Yourself Again

Here’s the good news: your nervous system wants to regulate. It’s designed for it. But you can’t think your way into balance—you have to feel your way there.

That’s where somatic tools come in. These bottom-up practices speak the language of the body. Breathwork. Gentle movement. Safe sound. Stillness. Sensory cues. They send signals to your brain that say, “It’s okay to soften now. You’re safe.”

Right now, I’m harvesting herbs from my garden—but waiting on the tomatoes. Everything doesn’t ripen at once. And it’s reminding me of how healing works.

Whether it’s through body-based programs like the Safe and Sound Protocol and the Rest and Restore Protocol, or brain-body healing modalities like Brainspotting and IFS-informed somatic coaching, we’re creating a layered recipe for nervous system regulation. Each tool supports a different part of your healing—whether that’s settling your physiology, accessing stuck emotions, or building a felt sense of safety from the inside out.

Just like in my garden, everything doesn’t ripen at once. But with the right support, your system can come back into balance—and thrive.

You’re Not Alone—and You’re Not Broken

If your body feels wired, tired, and overwhelmed, it’s not all in your head.

Stress lives in the body. But so does healing.

And once you learn how to support your nervous system—not fight against it—you begin to unlock a different kind of power.

The kind that allows you to feel calm and capable. Rooted and resilient.

If you're ready to explore this kind of healing, I’d love to walk with you.

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✍️ About the Author

Andrea Goodwin is a Somatic Coach and the founder of Retune Health, a science-backed, heart-centered wellness practice that helps high achievers and wellness seekers regulate their nervous systems, release subconscious stress patterns, and restore balance in body, mind, and spirit.

With over 20 years of experience as a healthcare executive, Andrea brings a unique blend of real-world leadership, clinical insight, and holistic care to her work. Because burnout and overwhelm show up in our bodies, minds, and energy, she offers deeply personalized, mind-body-spirit support to help clients feel more grounded, clear, and alive — often in ways they never thought possible.

Through 1:1 sessions, group programs, and integrative experiences, Andrea guides clients toward a more intuitive, connected, and joyful way of being.

🌿 Explore sessions or subscribe to the newsletter at www.retunehealth.com

📍 Based in the northwest suburbs of Chicago | Virtual sessions available worldwide