Why rest doesn't work when your nervous system doesn't trust it.

Many people say they're resting, but they're not restoring.

They stop working.

They lie down.

They disengage.

And yet, they don't feel better.

This is especially common for people with long histories of vigilance.

Rest only restores when the nervous system believes it's safe to rest.

If the system is still scanning for threat, rest becomes another task.

The body lies still.

The mind keeps watch.

This is why some people feel more anxious when they finally stop.

Without activity as a buffer, the system surfaces everything it's been holding back.

For neurodivergent people, this can be even more pronounced.

Rest is often unstructured.

Unpredictable.

Sensory-noisy.

Which makes it feel unsafe rather than soothing.

What helps is redefining rest as low-demand regulation, not absence of activity.

That might mean repetitive, absorbing tasks.

Predictable routines.

Quiet sensory input.

Rest doesn't have to be passive.

It has to be non-threatening.

If rest hasn't been working for you, it doesn't mean you're bad at resting.

It means your nervous system hasn't yet learned that stopping won't cost you something.

Teaching that takes time, consistency, and the removal of pressure to "do rest properly".