You don’t need more willpower.
You don’t need more supplements.
You need to stop clenching.
This kind of nervous system tension is invisible, chronic, and misunderstood.
But here’s the catch: most people don’t even know they’re braced.
I’m not talking about a stressful moment or a bad week. I’m talking about the invisible nervous system tension you’ve normalized. The kind that lives in your jaw, your gut, your pelvic floor, your breath. The kind that whispers “just push through” and “don’t fall apart now.” It’s chronic. It’s sneaky. And it’s wrecking you.
What Nervous System Tension Actually Feels Like
It can feel like being a passenger in a car with a really aggressive driver.
Like waiting for the next shoe to drop—except it never does.
Like holding your breath without realizing it.
Like relaxing would make you weak or unproductive.
Like your system is on a 24/7 surveillance shift.
This isn’t poetic.
It’s physiological.
Nervous system tension constricts blood flow, alters vagal tone, clamps down on digestion, and mucks with your cortisol rhythm. It traps you in survival biochemistry—and gaslights you into thinking it’s just “stress” or “aging.”
Why You Don’t Recognize It
Because it feels normal now.
You’ve adapted. That tight chest and shallow breath? Baseline. That wired-but-exhausted feeling at night? Baseline. That sudden crash after being “fine” all day? Also baseline.
And when someone asks how you’re doing, you say, “Busy. But okay.”
Except you’re not okay. You’re braced — living inside a feedback loop that keeps your system stuck on high alert.
What Nervous System Tension Mimics
Bracing is a master of disguise. It can look like hormonal chaos (perimenopause symptoms, hot flashes, sleep implosions), digestive dysfunction (you can’t digest when you’re on alert), anxiety and insomnia (hypervigiliance keeps you from standing down), new alcohol sensitivity (not lost tolerance — just bottlenecked processing), or crash cycles (the go-go-go followed by collapse).
This isn’t just stress—it’s nervous system patterning.
If you want a deeper dive into how chronic bracing disrupts core functions, this article by Irene Lyon breaks it down beautifully.
Micropractice: Unbrace in Place
When your nervous system is braced, you leak energy without realizing. This quick reset helps your body downshift in the middle of whatever you’re doing—no mat, oils, or quiet room required.
- Stop mid-task.
- Unclench your jaw.
- Let your belly be soft.
- Put your back against a wall.
- Exhale like you mean it.
Then ask: Where else am I holding what needs to move?
Notice without fixing. That awareness is the first unbracing.
TL;DR
If your nervous system tension goes unchecked, it can mimic hormone problems, gut issues, sleep collapse, and anxiety. Most women don’t recognize it because it’s become their baseline.
You don’t need another fix.
You need to release the invisible brace.
This post pairs with What Does “Nervous System First” Actually Mean? if you want to go deeper into how tension distorts healing at every level.