Breaking the Habit of Being in Hyperdrive
Some psychology sessions are a big teary verbal dump — the kind where everything that’s been sitting heavy in your chest finally spills out, and you walk out feeling wrung out but lighter.
And then some sessions are the quiet aha kind.
This week, I had one of those. The kind that gives you language for what you've been living inside. The kind that hands you something actionable to help your nervous system without needing to fix your entire life at once.
And honestly… I really needed that. 2025 has been tough — like, properly tough. The first half, yes, but the second half? Another level. Both my parents have started walking through scary health issues. My business is struggling. Parenting neurodiverse teens is a full-contact emotional sport. And under all of that, my system somehow slipped into a state I didn’t even fully see happening:
Hyperdrive.
Constant fight-or-flight.
A nervous system that forgot how to stand down.
What I didn’t realise was that I had quietly entered a space of mentally trying to solve everything — all the time — because I couldn’t fix the big scary things happening around me. So my brain went into over-functioning mode. Rumination. Looping thoughts. Constant mental rehearsals of worst-case scenarios and problem-solving that never actually solved anything.
And if you’re reading this and thinking, “Oh God… that’s me,” please keep going. You’re not alone. Not even close.
When Too Many Hard Things Hit at Once…
When a few stressful things pile up all at the same time, we don’t even realise we’ve shifted out of our normal nervous system and into survival mode. It feels like being “on” all the time — wired, scanning, gripping, trying to get ahead of every potential fire.
Because we can’t wave a magic wand and fix these huge and painful life situations, our brain defaults to doing the only thing it can:
Think harder. Try harder. Fix it in our minds.
But here’s the trap…
That constant mental spinning doesn’t fix the problem. Instead, it floods our body with cortisol, tightens every muscle, shortens our breath, and trains our system to live in danger even when nothing dangerous is happening in the moment.
And then — even when we do get pockets of time to rest — our body can’t access the off-switch. We sit down but don’t settle. We breathe but don’t soften. Our mind says “relax,” but our nervous system says “stay alert.”
Rest becomes an idea rather than a feeling.
When Rumination Becomes Your New Normal
Eventually, even the little problems start feeding the machine.
That email you forgot to reply to.
The noise your fridge is making.
The load of washing you meant to hang out.
The assignment your teen hasn't done.
Suddenly, everything feels urgent because your body thinks everything is danger.
And hyperdrive becomes the new default. The new normal. The autopilot setting. A place where you’re always mentally trying to control outcomes so you can feel safe again.
Except you never really do.
The Breakthrough: Awareness Is EVERYTHING
This was the biggest aha moment in my session:
The cure is not fixing the external problems — because most of them don’t have quick fixes. The cure is breaking the habit of the internal rumination.
Awareness is the doorway.
If you can catch yourself in the moment when you’ve gone into looping thoughts or mental rehearsal…
If you can notice it without judging yourself…
If you can interrupt the cycle even for a few seconds…
You start teaching your nervous system something it forgot:
You are allowed to stand down.
You are allowed to feel safe in this moment.
You don’t have to think your way out of everything.
And truly — if someone reading this right now is having that moment of recognition, I’m so glad. I hope this lands softly where it’s needed.
Because once you’re aware, you can take care of yourself in a way that actually supports healing.
You won’t magically fix the problems (and honestly… they will play out however they’re meant to anyway). But you can fix the way you treat yourself while you're walking through them.
So Here’s Your Gentle Invitation… Right Now
Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Take one big, slow breath.
You are doing your best. Your mind is tired because it cares. Your body is tight because it’s been protecting you.
But you don’t have to live in hyperdrive anymore.
And then…
Do a body scan.
Notice where your body feels tight, clenched, buzzing, or switched on. Move your attention slowly from the top of your head down to your toes and just observe what you find.
Breathe into the tight spots.
Send your breath into the places your body has been holding everything together. Imagine your inhale gently expanding that space, and your exhale softening and releasing some of the tension. Let them soften, even just a little.
Because here’s the thing — and this is so important:
When you step out of hyperdrive, feelings might surface.
Often, being in mental hyperdrive is how we avoid feeling the feelings. So when you slow the thoughts and interrupt the rumination cycle, your emotional world might finally get a little space to rise.
This isn’t something going wrong. This is something going right.
Just accept whatever comes up for what it is:
An emotion. Energy moving through. Something that will pass.
Feeling it — rather than running from it — actually makes space inside you again. Space that feels calmer. Warmer. Kinder.
And Please… Support Yourself Through This
Take your blends.
The best ones for this are:
- Slow Down – because it helps your system unwind from that constant hyper-alert state.
- Let It Go – for when your mind is gripping too tightly to fears, outcomes, or looping thoughts.
- Silly Season Saviour – for when everything feels “too much” and you need emotional buffering and gentle release.
They won’t take your feelings away (and you don’t want them to). But they will help your system process and release things more gently.
Sending you so much love and permission to unwind,
Alisha x
Breaking the Habit of Being in Hyperdrive
Some psychology sessions are a big teary verbal dump — the kind where everything that’s been sitting heavy in your chest finally spills out, and you walk out feeling wrung out but lighter.
And then some sessions are the quiet aha kind.
This week, I had one of those. The kind that gives you language for what you've been living inside. The kind that hands you something actionable to help your nervous system without needing to fix your entire life at once.
And honestly… I really needed that. 2025 has been tough — like, properly tough. The first half, yes, but the second half? Another level. Both my parents have started walking through scary health issues. My business is struggling. Parenting neurodiverse teens is a full-contact emotional sport. And under all of that, my system somehow slipped into a state I didn’t even fully see happening:
Hyperdrive.
Constant fight-or-flight.
A nervous system that forgot how to stand down.
What I didn’t realise was that I had quietly entered a space of mentally trying to solve everything — all the time — because I couldn’t fix the big scary things happening around me. So my brain went into over-functioning mode. Rumination. Looping thoughts. Constant mental rehearsals of worst-case scenarios and problem-solving that never actually solved anything.
And if you’re reading this and thinking, “Oh God… that’s me,” please keep going. You’re not alone. Not even close.
When Too Many Hard Things Hit at Once…
When a few stressful things pile up all at the same time, we don’t even realise we’ve shifted out of our normal nervous system and into survival mode. It feels like being “on” all the time — wired, scanning, gripping, trying to get ahead of every potential fire.
Because we can’t wave a magic wand and fix these huge and painful life situations, our brain defaults to doing the only thing it can:
Think harder. Try harder. Fix it in our minds.
But here’s the trap…
That constant mental spinning doesn’t fix the problem. Instead, it floods our body with cortisol, tightens every muscle, shortens our breath, and trains our system to live in danger even when nothing dangerous is happening in the moment.
And then — even when we do get pockets of time to rest — our body can’t access the off-switch. We sit down but don’t settle. We breathe but don’t soften. Our mind says “relax,” but our nervous system says “stay alert.”
Rest becomes an idea rather than a feeling.
When Rumination Becomes Your New Normal
Eventually, even the little problems start feeding the machine.
That email you forgot to reply to.
The noise your fridge is making.
The load of washing you meant to hang out.
The assignment your teen hasn't done.
Suddenly, everything feels urgent because your body thinks everything is danger.
And hyperdrive becomes the new default. The new normal. The autopilot setting. A place where you’re always mentally trying to control outcomes so you can feel safe again.
Except you never really do.
The Breakthrough: Awareness Is EVERYTHING
This was the biggest aha moment in my session:
The cure is not fixing the external problems — because most of them don’t have quick fixes. The cure is breaking the habit of the internal rumination.
Awareness is the doorway.
If you can catch yourself in the moment when you’ve gone into looping thoughts or mental rehearsal…
If you can notice it without judging yourself…
If you can interrupt the cycle even for a few seconds…
You start teaching your nervous system something it forgot:
You are allowed to stand down.
You are allowed to feel safe in this moment.
You don’t have to think your way out of everything.
And truly — if someone reading this right now is having that moment of recognition, I’m so glad. I hope this lands softly where it’s needed.
Because once you’re aware, you can take care of yourself in a way that actually supports healing.
You won’t magically fix the problems (and honestly… they will play out however they’re meant to anyway). But you can fix the way you treat yourself while you're walking through them.
So Here’s Your Gentle Invitation… Right Now
Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Take one big, slow breath.
You are doing your best. Your mind is tired because it cares. Your body is tight because it’s been protecting you.
But you don’t have to live in hyperdrive anymore.
And then…
Do a body scan.
Notice where your body feels tight, clenched, buzzing, or switched on. Move your attention slowly from the top of your head down to your toes and just observe what you find.
Breathe into the tight spots.
Send your breath into the places your body has been holding everything together. Imagine your inhale gently expanding that space, and your exhale softening and releasing some of the tension. Let them soften, even just a little.
Because here’s the thing — and this is so important:
When you step out of hyperdrive, feelings might surface.
Often, being in mental hyperdrive is how we avoid feeling the feelings. So when you slow the thoughts and interrupt the rumination cycle, your emotional world might finally get a little space to rise.
This isn’t something going wrong. This is something going right.
Just accept whatever comes up for what it is:
An emotion. Energy moving through. Something that will pass.
Feeling it — rather than running from it — actually makes space inside you again. Space that feels calmer. Warmer. Kinder.
And Please… Support Yourself Through This
Take your blends.
The best ones for this are:
- Slow Down – because it helps your system unwind from that constant hyper-alert state.
- Let It Go – for when your mind is gripping too tightly to fears, outcomes, or looping thoughts.
- Silly Season Saviour – for when everything feels “too much” and you need emotional buffering and gentle release.
They won’t take your feelings away (and you don’t want them to). But they will help your system process and release things more gently.
Sending you so much love and permission to unwind,
Alisha x
2 comments
You’ve described my life from 20 to now. Over 35 years of oscillating between hypervigilance and shut down. I’ve slowly removed anxiety from the driving seat to the passenger seat. Next year, with my plan to work with a psychologist to get a diagnosis and new tools to navigate a challenging role. Your Christmas drops and spray and tai chi on Sundays and acupuncture and reading, swimming and walking are my current tools. Thank you for sharing your journey. It resonates with me and many others too.
Thank you. It sounds like me, and I’m to see a Psychologist soon. Dr says “it sounds like overwhelm”. A good description in one word.
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