The Fear of Resting: Why Doing Nothing Feels Like a Threat to Your Survival
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References
Peer-Reviewed Research (Vancouver)
- Porges SW. Polyvagal Theory: Current Status, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions. Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2025;22(3):169-184. doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20250301. PMID: 40735382.
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Stephen Porges, PhD, neuroscientist and originator of polyvagal theory, explains that for people whose early environments were unpredictable or unsafe, rest can feel genuinely threatening rather than restorative. Because the nervous system learned that dropping vigilance led to harm, and it doesn’t unlearn that simply because the environment has changed.
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Annie Wright is a licensed psychotherapist (LMFT #95719) and trauma-informed executive coach with over 25,000 clinical hours. She works with driven women , including Silicon Valley leaders, physicians, and entrepreneurs , in repairing the psychological foundations beneath their impressive lives. Annie is the founder and former CEO of Evergreen Counseling, a multimillion-dollar trauma-informed therapy center she built, scaled, and successfully exited. A regular contributor to Psychology Today, her expert commentary has appeared in Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., NBC, and The Information. She is currently writing her first book with W.W. Norton.
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