When Rest Feels Risky
Reclaiming the Nervous System as Sacred
Written by Lena Servin BSN, RN, RYT, RMT
I used to think I was just someone who liked being busy.
Driven. Productive. Capable.
Someone who could juggle a lot and still show up with a smile.
But lately, I’ve had to get really honest with myself:
Rest doesn’t come easy for me.
And not because I don’t want it — but because it doesn’t always feel safe.
Can you relate?
The Hidden Fear Beneath the Hustle
So many of us intellectually understand the importance of slowing down — for our health, for our creativity, for our relationships.
But when we actually try to rest…
…our mind races.
…our body fidgets.
…our chest tightens.
…we find something else to do.
It’s not laziness.
It’s not a lack of discipline.
It’s often the result of a dysregulated nervous system and internalized survival programming.
Because somewhere along the way, many of us learned:
Being still means being unproductive.
Slowing down means you’re falling behind.
Resting means you're weak, selfish, or letting someone down.
In a world that glorifies burnout and busyness, rest can feel like rebellion.
But it’s also where healing begins.
The Science: Why Rest Feels Unsafe
Neuroscience and trauma research tell us that if your body only learned how to feel safe through movement, achievement, or helping others…
Then slowing down can actually trigger a threat response.
In other words:
Your body might interpret rest as danger.
This is especially true if:
You’ve experienced chronic stress or burnout
You were praised for being “the strong one”
You had to earn love through achievement
You grew up in chaos and found control in doing
The good news? You can rewire this.
Not through force, but through gentleness.
Through learning to befriend your nervous system again — breath by breath.
A Sacred Reclamation
At Serenity Cove, I’ve watched so many people melt into rest only after they were reminded…
they’re allowed to.
They’re safe to.
They don’t have to earn it.
Sometimes people cry when they lay down on the vibroacoustic table.
Not because they’re in pain — but because they finally feel the absence of tension.
Because no one is asking them to “perform.”
Because their body remembers what it’s like to just be.
This is the revolution:
Reclaiming rest as sacred.
Not as an escape — but as a homecoming.
Ask Yourself…
When I try to rest, what thoughts or sensations come up in my body?
What did I learn growing up about stillness, softness, and receiving?
Where am I still trying to prove I’m “enough” by staying busy?
What would it look like to trust that rest is productive too?
What kind of rest does my nervous system actually crave?
🌿 Your Next Gentle Step
If your system is craving rest but doesn’t know how to allow it, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.
At Serenity Cove, we hold space for nervous system repair and soul replenishment. Through intentional breathwork, the Lucia Light, vibroacoustic sound healing, or simply sitting in stillness by the trees — you’re invited to remember the medicine of rest.
You don’t have to earn it.
You just have to receive it.
