Why You Should Regulate Your Nervous System
- Gwendi Klisa
- Oct 10
- 7 min read
How Smart Content Creators Stop Paralysis, Procrastination AND Burnout
Everybody talks about procrastination, but we rarely recognise how much our nervous system drives it. If you’ve ever felt caught in a cycle of overthinking, burnout, or endless hesitation, your body’s stress responses are likely at play. Learning how to regulate your nervous system helps you break that loop, restore calm focus, and create from clarity instead of stress.
In this post, you’ll discover how emotional regulation fuels productivity, confidence, and sustainable creativity. This will be great news to creatives, entrepreneurs and content creators who want to perform (feel!) at their best.
The Hidden Threats That Derail Content Creators
Before we blame algorithms or strategy, let’s look at any internal threats. AKA the emotional patterns that quietly sabotage your creativity and consistency.
In ten years in business, I’ve faced my share of both external and internal threats. Sure, there are plenty of things we can’t control — but then there’s our sphere of influence: us. That’s why I like to stay pragmatic and focus on what I can actually meddle with. The internal threats.
Your business success relies on you. It depends on how well you manage stuff that's going on inside. For example your emotions. Do you let your emotions chuck you about or do you generally get on with things? You may have said this yourself: ‘I'm my own worst enemy’.
Let's change this, shall we?
Learn the tools to regulate your nervous system in a healthy way. You'll be ready to tackle any emotional onslaught coming your way. A regulated nervous system means your mind, body, and emotions are in balance causing your days to run smoothly.
What Your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Really Does
Your autonomic nervous system is far more connected to your creativity, stress, and performance than you might think.
It's the backstage crew silently steering your body under the hood. Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) keeps everything running: heartbeat, breath, digestion. All so you can play, rest, lock in, debate, socialise, or shine on stage without even thinking about it.
What most people don’t realise is how deeply it’s connected to your creativity, stress levels, and performance. Quick show of hands...who here would like to improve those?
There's more to you than fight or flight...right?
Why the Old Nervous System Model Might Be Outdated
We often picture our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system as a tug-of-war between activation and calming. More activation meant less calming and vice versa.
These two modes are designed to help us deal with life's more intense moments. The sympathetic fight-or-flight response and the parasympathetic relaxation-shutdown continuum. These are like our bodyguards in the face of danger, kicking into action when things get hairy.
Psychologist Stephen Porges developed the polyvagal theory and identified another strand in our nervous system. The social engagement system.
Why This Social Engagement System Matters
It's our compass for navigating relationships. We tap into it when we feel safe, connected to others, sharing and relating from the heart. This state isn't just about surviving; it's about thriving.
If you're building a business or audience you're in the business of serving and connecting others. We attract genuine like-minded people when we're in this state.
Strive to spend time in this socially engaged state, especially if you're in the business of helping others. It's key to developing healthy, rewarding social media habits.
How the ANS Influences Emotions
Your autonomic nervous system doesn't just react to external stimuli; it's also influenced by your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
Ever notice how your mood can shift your body's response? Or how movement shifts your mood? Go for a brisk walk after vegetating on the sofa and your energy changes instantly.
Thoughts, emotions, beliefs, breath and movement all influence your autonomic nervous system. It can interact with those brain centres involved in processing emotions and thinking.
The Merry-Go-Round Of Thoughts, Emotions, Sensations
The state of your mind, including your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, can influence your autonomic nervous system's response.
Whether you're revving up for action or settling in for rest, or going underground. Your ANS holds the controls when you feel off balance.
The Three Nervous System States
1 - Fight & Flight: The Sympathetic Nervous System
Imagine feeling STRESSED.
It doesn’t matter whether the threat is real or imagined. Your body reacts the same way.
Your thoughts and emotions trigger a surge of energy through your system. This is causing sensations: your heart races, palms get sweaty, mouth dry and your mind spirals.
That’s your sympathetic nervous system flipping the switch to high alert. The classic fight-or-flight response. And it's tryting to help. It's designed to keep you safe.
You're ready to fight your corner – or dash off through the emergency exit.
2 - Relax: The Parasympathetic Nervous System
When your parasympathetic nervous system takes the reins, chill mode comes online.
Wanna active it right now whether you're on the tube or in a noisy canteen?
Breathe through your nose.
Take a slow, deep breath in (count to 4)…
and exhale (count to 8). Focus on the exhale.
Bonus points if you hum while you breathe out.
Relaxation techniques like this, positive emotions and beliefs bring the parasympathetic nervous system to life, promoting relaxation and a sense of well-being.
Your heart rate slows, your muscles release, and you ease into a peaceful rest-and-digest state, the perfect conditions for unwinding after a long day and letting your body reset.
3 - Freeze: Immobilisation And Shutdown
The freeze response is like hitting the OFF switch.
.
When fighting or fleeing aren’t options, the body shuts down.
Everything stops. You disconnect, numb out, disappear.
This is an ancient survival mechanism dating back to our ancient reptilian ancestors. It served them well when they were trying to avoid being eaten by a predator.
So freeze is meant to protect us in moments of overwhelm or actual danger but when it becomes a chronic state, it stops being protective and starts cutting us off from life. Leaving us feeling disconnected, stuck, and isolated.
Why You Should Regulate Your Nervous System (HInt: It Affects The Way You Work)
These three states can quietly wreck your sales, marketing, mental health, impact and income. Your business suffers if you can’t regulate your nervous system states:
1 - You Rant And Push (Fight)
You’re HYPER-activated. Think 30-day reels challenges, over-offering, overdoing. It leads to burnout and desperate vibes. You’re chasing clients instead of attracting them.
2 - You Procrastinate (Flight)
Shiny-object syndrome, endless 'research', and perfectionism keep you veh veh busy...but invisible. You’re never quite ready to show up.
3 - You Check Out (Freeze)
Avoiding social media, speaking to clients altogether? Full shutdown. Action disappears and progress stalls. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
How To Overcome Fear And Get Out Of Procrastination
Consider this checklist.
Are you…
showing up on video OR are you hiding?
sharing your authentic self OR presenting a facade?
posting nonstop OR just lurking on the sidelines?
oversharing every time OR on a permanent social media break?
wearing yourself out completely OR intentional with your energy?
creating from lack and fear OR a from connection?
Let’s explore how each content-creation style mirrors your nervous system, and how awareness helps you shift.
1 - Fight Mode – When The Hustle Is Real
Constantly hustling to please the algorithm? You’re likely in fight mode. This relentless drive leaves you burnt out and creatively empty.
We get so caught up in the doing. Posting, producing, keeping up that we can forget about the heart and soul behind what we share.
Balance looks like this: quality over quantity, authenticity over activity. Your audience doesn’t need more from you; they need you.
Consistency matters, but not at the cost of your wellbeing. Take a breather. Step back when you need to. Create from joy, not from adrenaline.
2 - Flight Mode
Ever find yourself endlessly refining and tweaking your content, but never quite hitting publish? That’s flight mode.
Fear of failure or judgement sends your system into overdrive, and perfectionism takes over. Every detail must be flawless, every caption crafted to precision...until the creative spark gets lost.
But chasing perfection is like chasing a mirage. We tell ourselves that if we make it just right, we’ll finally feel safe, accepted, or ready. Yet that moment never comes.
Perfectionism doesn’t protect us; it paralyses us. It keeps us from growth, experimentation, and real connection with our audience.
The antidote? Courage and self-compassion.
Shift your focus from perfection to progress. Embrace the messy middle of creation. Your worth isn’t defined by flawlessness, it’s defined by your willingness to show up as you are.
So next time you catch yourself tweaking for the tenth time, pause and ask: am I avoiding fear, or am I creating from curiosity?
3. Freeze Mode : The Disappearing Act
Freeze mode can be sneaky. You’re not broken, lazy or unmotivated. Your nervous system has simply hit shutdown. Maybe you avoid social media altogether or feel paralysed every time you think about showing up.
This state is often fuelled by fear of judgement, insecurity, or just feeling overwhelmed and out of your depth. It’s the body’s ancient way of keeping you safe but in modern life, it can quietly keep you stuck.
To thaw the freeze, start small. Practise speaking to camera for a few minutes a day, or record short clips just for yourself. The more you do it, the safer it feels.
Drop the pressure to perform and focus on realness. Your audience connects to sincerity, not polish.
Challenge the thoughts that tell you you’re not good enough. Lean on people who believe in you. And most of all, be patient. Re-emergence takes time.
Progress doesn’t come from pushing. It comes from gentle repetition, compassion, and consistency.
How to Rewire Your Response and Create from Calm
When you learn to regulate your nervous system, creativity flows easily again. You think clearly, express authentically, and attract the right people.
Regulation doesn’t mean doing more. It means doing from alignment.
When you regulate your nervous system, you stop reacting and start creating, from calm focus, not chaos. Overwhelm, burnout, and endless hesitation begin to lose their grip.
If you’re ready to clear the noise, reconnect with your calm, and move forward with confidence, let’s talk.
Book your Free Clarity Consult and discover how quickly things can shift when your mind and body are finally on the same team.
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Love,
Gwen
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