How the Nervous System Breaks Your Habits
If youโve ever tried to build a habit and thought, โWhy canโt I just stick to this?โ this might help. For a long time, I thought my problem was willpower. Or motivation. Or discipline. But what Iโve learned is that a lot of โfailed habitsโ arenโt about mindset at all. Theyโre about the nervous system. When your nervous system feels under pressure, unsafe, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin, it doesnโt care about your good intentions. It cares about survival. So even if you want to eat well, move your body, rest more, show up consistentlyโฆ your system might be quietly pulling you back to what feels familiar and safe. Not because itโs best for you. But because itโs known. Thatโs why habits often fall apart when: - youโre stressed - youโre tired - youโre emotionally overloaded - youโre trying to do too much at once Your body goes into protection mode. And protection always beats plans. I see this in myself all the time. When Iโm regulated and steady, habits feel simple. When Iโm dysregulated, everything feels harder and I start asking myself whatโs wrong with me. Nothing is wrong. My system just needs support before it can change. This is why pushing harder usually backfires. And why being kind to yourself actually helps habits stick. Small changes. Low pressure. Safety first. Not forcing. Not shaming. Not trying to overhaul your life when your system is already stretched. If youโve been stuck in the stopโstart cycle, it doesnโt mean you lack commitment. It usually means your nervous system hasnโt felt safe enough to stay consistent. And thatโs something you can work with, gently. What habit keeps falling apart when youโre stressed? I share a lot of this kind of nervous-system-aware support inside The Sacred Pause. (I have just launched a course in there that will help with this). If this spoke to you, youโre very welcome to join us.