How to Support Your Nervous System During Times of Uncertainty
- Ana Lilia
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
How to Support Your Nervous System During Times of Uncertainty
Uncertainty doesn’t just live in our minds—it lands in the body.
Whether you’ve experienced a layoff, a cut in hours, or just a general feeling that life is shifting without your consent, your nervous system responds. You may feel it in your chest. In your jaw. In the way you wake up tired or carry a quiet hum of anger beneath your breath.
And yet, if you’re someone who’s always kept it together, it might take a while to notice what your body’s actually trying to say.
During a recent group session with my mastermind clients, one of the themes that came up again and again was the emotional aftermath of professional instability. Many people shared how quickly stress builds up when their roles change, their income drops, or their future feels unclear.
Here’s what came through—and what might support you, too.
1. Honor the Anger, Don’t Bury It
One of the most honest moments in the call came from someone who admitted, “I’m angry. I’m mad that other people weren’t affected, and I was.”
Anger is a valid nervous system response to injustice and fear.
It's not something to push away—it’s something to sit with, gently.
Try this:
Place a hand on your heart and acknowledge, “This is unfair, and it makes sense that I’m upset.”
You’re not making the feeling bigger—you’re simply letting it move.
2. Notice the Loop of “What’s the Point?”
When we’re deep in burnout or fear, our thoughts can spiral toward meaninglessness.
What’s the point of all this?
Why am I even trying?
These aren’t questions that need quick answers.
But they do signal that your system is overwhelmed and looking for grounding.
In those moments, the invitation isn’t to solve everything. It’s to come back to your body.
To reconnect with one thing that is certain right now: your breath.
3. Pause Before You Push Through
We’re often taught to respond to uncertainty with productivity.
Apply for jobs. Update the resume. Work harder.
But the nervous system doesn’t regulate through pressure. It regulates through presence. Through slowness. Through permission to pause.
That pause might look like:
Five slow breaths before opening your laptop
Journaling instead of forcing a decision
Simply noticing: My body feels tight. I’m holding a lot right now.
4. This Isn’t Just Stress—It’s Survival Energy
Feeling foggy, tired, emotional, or unmotivated? That’s not a personal failing.
It’s a nervous system doing exactly what it’s designed to do: conserve energy when it perceives a threat.
The work is not to override that signal. It’s time to begin building enough safety for your system to soften by learning how to support your nervous system.
That’s what we do together inside my 1:1 coaching container:
We retrain your body to trust safety again—not just in theory, but in your lived experience.
5. You’re Not Alone (Even If It Feels Like It)
One of the most healing moments from the call was witnessing how many others felt the exact same way—tired, scared, unsure how to keep going.
Sometimes the most powerful regulation comes from simply being seen.
If you’re feeling the weight of change, the fog of burnout, or the ache of disappointment, you’re not broken.
You're human. And your nervous system is doing its best to protect you.
You don’t have to hold this alone.
Ready to Feel Supported in the Uncertainty?
Inside Success Beyond Success, we don’t bypass the hard. We build the capacity to meet it—softly, gently, and together.
With warmth and presence,
Ana
Comentários