Feeling Stuck in Your Career? This Might Be Why

You’ve probably noticed the phrase “nervous system regulation” being thrown around a lot lately. And if you’re anything like most of the women I work with, you might have found yourself quietly wondering:

What does that actually mean in real life?

Like in the middle of a full life, work, kids, mental load, broken sleep (or no sleep) … and everything else you’re holding.

Because when we strip it back, this isn’t just a wellness buzzword.

It’s often the difference between feeling constantly overwhelmed … and finally feeling like you can breathe again.

Your nervous system is constantly working in the background of your life.

It’s shaping:

• how you respond to stress

• how well you sleep

• your energy

• your mood

• your ability to think clearly and make decisions

And it moves between different states.

Some of these might feel very familiar:

1. There’s the fight or flight state, where everything feels urgent, overwhelming, a bit too much.

2. And then there’s rest and restore, where you feel calm, grounded, and more like yourself.

For a long time, I thought being “regulated” meant being calm all the time.

But that’s not it.

Regulation is the ability to move through stress… and come back.

To recover. That’s what real resilience looks like.

When I look at my own life and the lives of the women I work with, it’s no surprise so many of us feel stuck, flat, or overwhelmed.

We're juggling ALOT.

And somewhere along the way, our body stops getting the signal that it’s safe to switch off. So we stay in this low-level state of “on”.

And it shows up in ways that are easy to dismiss:

• feeling tired but wired

• snapping more quickly than we’d like

• struggling to focus

• knowing what we should do… but not having the energy to follow through

• never fully relaxing, even when there’s a moment to

For a long time, I thought this was just part of being "busy."

Now I see it differently. It’s a nervous system that hasn’t had the chance to recover.

What you can do about it

One of the most reassuring things I’ve learnt is this:

Your nervous system is adaptable.

It’s not fixed.

Through something called neuroplasticity, your body can learn new patterns with the right support.

Not through doing more. But through doing things differently.

And for me, that’s looked like small, simple shifts:

• Slowing my breath when I feel myself speeding up. Try the Navy SEAL technique of box breathing.

• Choosing movement that supports me, not drains me (hello walking pad!)

• Being around people who feel safe and grounding.

• Protecting sleep where I can (even when it’s not perfect).

• Getting outside and stepping away from dual monitor and laptop buzzing at me.

Nothing groundbreaking. But when done consistently, it changes how you feel in your body.

Right now, I’m studying at uni, working full-time, and raising a family of boys! #enoughsaid

The old version of me, the high-achieving, always-in-go-mode version, would have responded by adding more on my plate. And if I’m honest, sometimes I still catch myself going there.

But I’ve started to notice it sooner.

And instead of pushing through, I’ve put guardrails in place.

Simple ones.

If my body is asking for rest like a daytime nap, I take it. I don’t negotiate with it. I don’t justify pushing through. Because I know the version of me that keeps overriding those signals… is the version that ends up burnt out. And I’m no longer willing to operate from that place.

So many women come to me saying:

• “I feel stuck”

• “I’ve lost motivation”

• “I don’t know what I want anymore”

And yes, there are practical layers to that.

But underneath it… very often… their nervous system is exhausted.

When you’re in that state:

• decisions feel harder

• clarity disappears

• everything feels heavier

• even step feel overwhelming

So instead of pushing harder…

We slow things down.

We create space.

Because clarity, confidence, and direction don’t come from force. They come from a nervous system that feels safe enough to access them.

Instead of asking:

“What should I do with my career?”

Try ...

"What would feeling calm, clear, and supported actually look like in my life right now?"

It’s a different question.

And it leads to very different answers.