What Do We Mean By Dysregulation?

Most of us move through life stressed, wired, overwhelmed — or just not quite at ease in our own bodies.

You might notice:

• your mind doesn’t slow down
• your body feels tense
• rest never feels… fully restful
• you’re always “on edge” — even when nothing’s wrong

This is often what we mean when we talk about dysregulation.

A Simple Way to Understand It

Your nervous system has a few main states.
Sometimes it feels safe, steady, and grounded.

And sometimes it moves into survival mode — preparing you to react, protect, or shut down.

Dysregulation simply means:

your nervous system is spending more time in survival mode
and less time in safety and ease

It’s not a flaw.
It’s not you “failing.”
It’s not your body being broken.

It’s your system doing its best to protect you.

Dysregulation can come from:

long-term stress
emotional strain
big life changes
trauma — big or small
lack of rest or safety
overwhelm
constant pressure to “keep going”

Over time, your system learns:

“I need to stay alert — because the world doesn’t always feel safe.”

When your nervous system is dysregulated, you may notice:

• anxiety or shutdown
• exhaustion
• difficulty relaxing
• trouble focusing
• feeling disconnected
• being easily overwhelmed

And this can feel confusing — especially if life looks fine from the outside.

Dysregulation is not a diagnosis.
It’s a way of understanding your experience.

And it means this:

Your body is trying to protect you.
Nothing about you is “too much.”
Regulation is learnable — gently, over time.