- by Teresa Pessina
7 Signs Your Nervous System Doesn't Feel Safe
- by Teresa Pessina
What your body might be trying to tell you and simple ways to support it.
Have you ever felt exhausted but unable to switch off?
Doing everything “right” but nothing seems to shift?
Or noticed your digestion, skin or hormones seem to go off track whenever life gets stressful?
It's easy to assume these things are completely separate.
But they're all connected by one powerful system.
Your nervous system.
One of your nervous system's main jobs is to constantly ask one question:
"Am I safe?"
The answer influences everything from your heart rate and digestion to inflammation, hormone signalling and even your skin barrier.
When your body spends too much time in "survival mode," it prioritises getting you through the day rather than repairing and restoring.
Here are seven signs your nervous system might be asking for more support and what to do about it:
1. You wake up tired, even after a full night's sleep.
Sleep isn't just about how many hours you're in bed.
It's about how restorative those hours are.
If your nervous system struggles to fully switch into a state of recovery, you may wake up feeling like you never really rested.
That’s because your brain’s detox path way (glymphatic system) may have not cleared effiectly due to stress responses. This process is essential for emotional offloading and processing.
What to do about it:
One of the most powerful longevity habits is creating an evening ritual that tells your body it's safe to rest.
This is exactly why we created Magnesium Glymphatic Sleepy Butter. We use it as part of our nightly wind-down routine to support relaxation and restorative sleep.
Here’s my free 10 minute wind down routine to get the deepest, restorative sleep for better days.
2. Your stomach always seems to react when you're stressed.
Ever had "butterflies" before a big event?
Or felt bloated after a stressful week?
That's because your brain and gut are in constant communication through the gut-brain axis.
When your nervous system senses stress, digestion often becomes less of a priority.
What to do about it:
Make your meal time sacred. That mean’s no rushing, no inhaling, no technology. Meditate on the food and every bite, thanking the creator of the universe for the nutrients you are absorbing. Everyone has at 20 minutes for a meal in their busy schedules, it’s just about prioritising it.
Supporting your nervous system often supports your digestion too.
We also love eating a diverse range of colourful, polyphenol-rich foods to nourish the gut microbiome, because your gut bacteria play an important role in your overall wellbeing.
If you need some extra support, our 5 day gut + lymphatic reset was designed for this exact process.
3. You feel wired but tired.
You're exhausted.
But you can't fully relax.
Your mind keeps racing.
You feel like you're running on empty.
This is one of the most common signs your body may be finding it difficult to switch from "go" mode into recovery mode.
What to do about it:
Supporting your response to stress isn't about removing stress from your life.
It's about helping your body become more resilient to it.
Try writing a brain dump in a journal (not phone or tech) of all your thoughts before bed. This reduces working memory load, interrupting cognitive loops, and lowering biological markers of stress. By externalising disorganised thoughts onto paper, you fundamentally change how your brain processes information, shifts resources, and recovers from overwhelm.
For extra support: No Stress Drops. We formulated them with adaptogenic + nootropic herbs like Timut Pepper, Holy Basil, Chamomile and Ashwagandha, to boost stress resilience and increase your capacity so you can handle more.
It’s not about getting rid of stress, it’s about changing the way you react to it.
4. You hold tension in your jaw, shoulders or stomach.
Stress isn't only something you think.
It's something your body experiences.
Many people unconsciously clench their jaw, raise their shoulders or tighten their stomach throughout the day.
Over time, that tension can become your body's new normal.
What to do about it:
As you read this...
Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Take one slow breath.
Spray our day time magnesium on your stomach which has 45mg every 6 sprays, perfect to reduce stress and muscle aches without making you sleepy.
Sometimes your body just needs a reminder that it's safe.
5. Small things feel overwhelming.
Have you ever noticed that when you're already stressed, the smallest inconvenience suddenly feels huge?
That's because your nervous system is already working hard.
When your internal stress bucket is full, even tiny challenges can feel like too much.
Supporting your nervous system isn't just about feeling calmer.
It's about creating more capacity.
What to do about it:
Change your story: Repeat out loud with any of our products, or on it’s own and write 7x in a journal “I am able to handle more than I think.”
Scientific research shows that "I am" and other self-affirmations are grounded in Self-Affirmation Theory. They activate the brain's reward and self-processing pathways, reduce stress, and protect self-integrity.
6. Your skin flares up during stressful periods.
Your skin and nervous system are deeply connected.
Research has shown that stress can influence inflammatory signalling, skin barrier function and the way our skin behaves.
It's one of the reasons people often notice more breakouts, redness or sensitivity during challenging periods.
What to do about:
Use targeted ingredients that not only support your skin barrier like Almond, CalmMandarin and Saffron Peptides, found in our Inflammaging Skin Solution + SPF NOTOX, but also support the neuro-receptors in your skin that help the production of oxytocin, seretonin and dopamine (happy hormones).
Nothing is separated.
That’s why we created the first real Neuro-cosmetics range by 2 ways:
- One is the ingredients themselves: the skin and brain share the same embryonic origin. There’s a direct connection between the CNS and the skin via neuroreceptors that send signals both ways — when we’re happier, our skin tends to glow.
- Reprogram thoughts and support nervous system regulation with our eyeam prescription (Habit stacking our routines with affirmations) to break negative thought loops that affect the mind and skin.
7. You find it difficult to truly relax.
If resting feels uncomfortable...
If you're constantly checking your phone...
If you always feel like you should be doing something...
Your nervous system may have become more familiar with being alert than feeling safe.
The good news?
Your nervous system is adaptable.
Through a process called neuroplasticity, your brain can strengthen new pathways over time.
Small daily habits really do matter.
Our favourite easy nervous system bio-hacks you can add into your routine right now:
You don't need a complete life overhaul.
Start with one or two simple habits.
☀️ Get outside within an hour of waking.
🫁 Practice slow breathing for five minutes.
🏋️ Move your body regularly.
🌿 Eat colourful, polyphenol-rich foods.
😴 Prioritise consistent sleep.
💤 Apply magnesium sleepy butter on feet and stomach
📵 Create screen-free moments throughout your day.
💚 Spend time with people who make you feel safe.
Because when your body feels safe, it has a much better chance of doing what it was designed to do.
Support you.
