Befriending Your Nervous System
Understanding Burnout and Building Resilience
Burnout is more than just feeling tired or overworked—it’s an embodied response to prolonged stress, signaling that something is out of alignment. It reflects a disconnection from our needs and the environments that sustain us physically, emotionally, and energetically. Many of us experienced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet post-pandemic, burnout has become a pervasive challenge, with Australian workers aged 25–55 among the most affected. It has been reported that 81% of the Australian workforce is struggling with stress and burnout, surpassing the global figure of 73% (State of the Future of Work, 2023).
Burnout is not just an individual issue. It’s deeply systemic, driven by cultural narratives that glorify overwork and productivity while undervaluing rest and connection. This grind culture, rooted in capitalism and systemic inequities, encourages us to equate our worth with what we produce, leaving little space for reflection or renewal. As Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, reminds us, “Rest is resistance.” Rest disrupts these oppressive systems and reconnects us with our humanity, our natural rhythms, and our capacity to thrive.
This disconnection also plays out in our nervous systems, which are constantly scanning for safety or danger through a process called neuroception (a term coined by Stephen Porges). When we experience prolonged stress, our nervous systems often get stuck in survival responses:
- Fight: The urge to confront or control, which may manifest as frustration or anger.
- Flight: The need to escape, leading to anxiety, restlessness, or avoidance.
- Freeze: A sense of being stuck, often accompanied by numbness or overwhelm.
- Fawn: An attempt to appease, which can show up as people-pleasing or difficulty setting boundaries.
- Flop: A state of collapse or helplessness, where everything feels too much.
These responses are not failures—they are adaptive mechanisms designed to protect us. However, when they become chronic, they disrupt our ability to return to a state of calm and connection, known as the ventral vagal state. This state is essential for creativity, collaboration, and resilience, but it often feels out of reach when burnout sets in.
Moving From Survival to Connection
Deb Dana’s work on polyvagal theory offers a roadmap for understanding and addressing burnout through the concept of befriending your nervous system. This approach invites us to shift from judgment to curiosity, recognising our stress responses as valuable signals rather than problems to fix. By tuning in to our nervous system’s cues and responding with care, we can gently guide ourselves back toward balance and connection.
Here are a few simple practices to begin this journey:
- Breath: Slow, deep breathing signals safety to your nervous system and helps calm your body.
- Grounding: Bring your attention to the present moment through physical sensations, like feeling your feet on the ground or the warmth of the sun on your skin.
- Connection: Co-regulation, or calming through connection with others, is a core principle of nervous system health. Reach out to someone you trust, share a laugh, or simply sit together in silence.
- Seek glimmers: As Deb Dana describes, glimmers are small, fleeting moments of safety, joy, or connection. These might be as simple as noticing a flower, hearing birdsong, or savouring a warm cup of tea. By seeking and savouring these moments, we can begin to build a pathway back to regulation.
A Space to Explore New Ways of Being
These ideas—of tuning into our nervous systems, embracing rest, and creating space for renewal—are central to our Cultivating New Ways of Being – Inner Leadership course. This five-part experiential journey invites participants to reconnect with themselves and their environments through somatic, regenerative, and creative practices. It’s a space to explore how we can navigate life’s complexities with greater presence, alignment, and resilience.
Rather than offering quick fixes, this course provides tools and frameworks to help you cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and your patterns. You’ll learn how to create sustainable practices that expand your capacity to hold life’s challenges while staying connected to your values and purpose.
What Does It Mean to Cultivate New Ways of Being?
To cultivate new ways of being is to step out of the grind and into alignment. It’s about fostering qualities like presence, self-awareness, and connection—not just with others, but with the natural world and the rhythms of life. It’s a process of unlearning the narratives that have kept us stuck and building practices that allow us to meet life with clarity and care.
In this course, you’ll:
- Explore practical ways to regulate your nervous system and expand your resilience.
- Discover how somatic, creative, and nature-based practices can help you find balance.
- Cultivate tools for navigating complexity and change with greater ease.
- Learn to create sustainable ways of being that support both your personal well-being and your contribution to the world.
- An Invitation to Pause and Reflect
If you’re feeling the weight of burnout or simply curious about how to live with greater intention and connection, this course offers a supportive space to begin. It’s an opportunity to pause, reflect, and realign with practices that nourish your nervous system and expand your capacity to navigate life’s ebbs and flows.
Take a moment today to tune into your body, notice a glimmer, or simply pause and breathe. These small acts of care create ripples, not just in your life but in the lives of those around you. If this resonates with you, explore how the Cultivating New Ways of Being – Inner Leadership course can help you deepen this journey. We look forward to potentially being with you!
Written by Jax Wechsler