Tension is often misunderstood.
Most people assume that tight muscles, clenched jaws, shallow breath, or rigid posture mean something is wrong. But from a nervous system perspective, these patterns often mean something is working.
Bracing, holding, and clenching are protective strategies. They develop when the body learns that staying alert is safer than fully relaxing.
In the Recognize phase of nervous system work, we are not trying to change these patterns yet. We are learning to notice them without judgment.
Recognition looks like:
- Observing when tension appears
- Identifying common triggers or situations
- Understanding protection as intelligence, not failure
When we rush to release tension, we may unintentionally tell the nervous system that its strategies are wrong or unsafe. Recognition creates a different message: “I see you. I’m listening.”
This is where true regulation begins — not with control, but with understanding.
