In today’s over-scheduled, always-on world, our nervous systems are often stretched to their limits. Stress, anxiety, illness, bereavement, money worries, and the constant hum of responsibilities can make it feel as though we’re stuck in a never-ending race. Yet, the antidote to this frenetic energy might be simpler, and closer, than we think. It starts with permission to pause.
Pausing is not just stopping, it’s a deliberate act of creating space for calm, clarity, and regulation of our nervous system. The nervous system plays a central role in how we respond to stress, danger, and perceived threats. These responses are hardwired into us, part of an ancient survival mechanism that has allowed humans to adapt and endure. Commonly referred to as the fight, flight, or freeze responses, these automatic reactions stem from the activation of the sympathetic nervous system when we sense danger.
The Fight Response: Confrontation
The fight response is activated when the body perceives that it must confront a threat directly. This might involve standing your ground, defending yourself, or expressing anger or frustration to push back against the perceived danger.
Signs of the Fight Response:
- Clenched fists or jaw
- A sudden burst of energy or adrenaline
- Anger, aggression, or irritability
- Feeling the urge to argue, confront, or dominate
- Physical tension in the body
While the fight response can be helpful in genuine danger (e.g., defending yourself from harm), it can be less productive when triggered by everyday stressors like work deadlines or minor conflicts.
The Flight Response: Escape
The flight response is the nervous system’s way of urging you to run or escape a situation that feels threatening. It might show up as a physical desire to leave a room, avoid confrontation, or withdraw completely.
Signs of the Flight Response:
- Restlessness, fidgeting or panicky
- The overwhelming need to leave or avoid certain situations
- Increased heart rate, rapid breathing
- Racing thoughts or excessive worry
Flight can be an instinctive reaction to danger, but in the modern world, it often manifests as avoiding responsibilities, relationships, or emotions. It’s an attempt to seek safety, even when the perceived threat isn’t life-threatening.
The Freeze Response: Immobilisation
The freeze response occurs when neither fighting nor fleeing feels like a viable option. It’s the nervous system’s way of shutting down or “playing dead” to avoid further harm. This is often linked to feelings of being overwhelmed or powerless.
Signs of the Freeze Response:
- Feeling stuck, numb, or disconnected
- A sense of dissociation or “zoning out”
- Difficulty speaking or thinking clearly
- Sluggishness or heaviness in the body
- A desire to hide or withdraw inwardly
The freeze response can occur during intense stress or trauma, but it’s not always a conscious choice. While it might offer temporary protection from overwhelming situations, staying in this state for too long can lead to chronic stress, emotional suppression, and difficulty re-engaging with life.
Understanding these responses—and how to manage them—can help us navigate both external stressors and internal challenges.
Massage: Unwinding the Body, Freeing the Mind
Massage is more than a physical release, it’s a signal to your body that it’s safe to relax. By easing tension in muscles and encouraging circulation, massage helps soothe an overactive nervous system. As your body lets go of stress, your mind often follows suit, creating a ripple effect of calm.
Aromatherapy: Scents That Ground and Uplift
Essential oils are more than pleasant fragrances. They interact with your brain’s limbic system, the emotional centre, to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Crafting a bespoke blend, in a base oil, and and using them with your massage, creates your pause, a sensory sanctuary, a moment to reset amid the chaos. The pause can be anchored with an aromastick, to be used away from the massage sessions.
Flower Remedies: Emotional Support in a Bottle
Flower remedies work gently to balance emotional states. Whether you’re facing overwhelm, uncertainty, or fear, these remedies act as subtle guides, helping your nervous system recalibrate without forcing a shift.
Pause, Peek, Return
The beauty of pausing is that it doesn’t demand a solution or immediate action. Instead, it gives you permission to briefly step away from your worries. In the pause, you might “peek” at your concerns, acknowledge them without judgment or overwhelm, and then gently return to the stillness. This practice of pausing and peeking fosters resilience, as it allows you to process emotions and worries without becoming consumed by them.
By integrating massage, aromatherapy, and flower remedies into your routine, you create tools for meaningful pauses. In these moments, your nervous system finds the balance it craves, enabling you to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease. In a world that pushes us to go faster, pausing can be the most productive thing we do.
