Trouble relaxing
For some people, anxiety doesn’t disappear when they stop working. Instead, it becomes more noticeable. Sitting still can feel agitating. Quiet can feel loud. Attempts to relax may quickly turn into distraction, scrolling, or restlessness.
If someone has been under sustained pressure, the nervous system can associate stillness with vulnerability. Activity feels safer than stopping.
Your system is prioritising readiness over recovery. That’s adaptive in short bursts — it just becomes costly when it never switches off.
Difficulty relaxing can contribute to burnout, tension headaches, elevated blood pressure, and a general sense that downtime is unsafe.
Many people bring experiences like this into therapy — not to “fix” them, but to understand why slowing down feels so difficult.
In this short series, I unpack the seven common experiences of anxiety. These are patterns many people recognise in themselves — sometimes quietly, sometimes uncomfortably. If you see yourself in one or more of these, it may mean your nervous system has been working hard for a long time.
More in this series:
Feeling nervous or on edge
Constantly worrying
Worrying about different things
Trouble relaxing
Feeling restless
Easily annoyed or irritable
Feeling afraid
