In a World That Won’t Stop Moving: Why Stillness Feels Impossible

In a world that refuses to slow down, where our minds race endlessly and information overload is the norm, it often feels impossible to find stillness.

Everywhere we turn, we’re hit with “simple solutions” to ease our restless minds — “Just meditate more,” “Have you tried journaling?” “Be more positive; you’re manifesting with every thought!” But what do these self-proclaimed life gurus actually mean by “living your best life,” “being your highest self,” or “changing your mindset”? And what’s with their overpriced manifesting manifestos?

Cue the near-audible eye roll. With the flood of new-wave avoidance strategies, it’s no wonder people feel confused, frustrated, and like they’re somehow still not doing “enough.” In one-on-one sessions, we spend a lot of time unlearning these misconceptions with science, presence, and a whole lot of patience.

The Science of a Restless Mind

The truth is, your brain is always working—constantly processing sensory signals, analyzing experiences, and planning for potential threats. That’s not a flaw; it’s exactly what your brain is designed to do on a biological and evolutionary level. No matter how many transcendental meditations you practice or psychedelic vision quests you take, your brain will never stop moving. If it did, we’d have a whole other set of problems to tackle.

Those relentless, racing thoughts—the ones that feel like a never-ending carousel from hell—are your brain working overtime to keep you safe. The solution isn’t to avoid these “red-tabbed” messages, hoping they’ll vanish. Instead, they’re invitations—an opportunity to pause, get still, and actually hear what your brain and body are trying to tell you. Ignored signals don’t just fade away; they grow louder and more disruptive, demanding your attention in increasingly intense ways.

What Are Feelings, Really?

Before we can navigate our emotions, we have to understand that “feelings” are more than inconvenient neurological blips. They’re called feel-ings for a reason—they’re physical responses generated by the brain to communicate what you need, what you fear might happen again, and to release what’s been stored inside you for far too long. While it might be tempting to dismiss them as mental “spam,” these signals are anything but junk.

Every feeling—whether acknowledged or suppressed—has a real impact on your physical health, digestion, and mental clarity. Ignored emotions don’t just disappear; they accumulate, intensify, and find new, more disruptive ways to demand your attention. These messengers carry essential information about what your mind and body need in the present moment. Ignoring them is like letting unread emails pile up—the more you avoid them, the more overwhelming they become.

Feelings & Thoughts Aren’t Facts — But They Still Matter

Let’s be clear: Not every feeling is a fact, and not every thought requires a deep dive into the “why.” However, that doesn’t mean these mental and physical signals are meaningless. They simply need to know that you received the message—bonus points if you choose to respond. If ignored, your body doesn’t just give up; it keeps pressing “send” until you finally pay attention.

Consider the analogy of dehydration. When your body needs water, the first signal might be a dry mouth. You might think, “I should drink some water… but it can wait.” If you ignore it, the body escalates its alert: headache, fatigue, maybe even nausea. The longer you put it off, the worse it gets.

Your emotions operate similarly. Nearly 90% of all neurological signals originate below the neck—in the body, not the brain. Ignored feelings don’t vanish; they manifest physically, causing chronic anxiety, racing thoughts, reactivity, brain fog, insomnia, and even depressive symptoms. When we ignore our body’s signals, the brain has to work overtime to compensate. This creates a vicious cycle, leaving us overwhelmed, reactive, and disconnected from ourselves.

Acknowledging your feelings doesn’t mean indulging every thought or emotion. It means recognizing the signal before it intensifies—just like grabbing a glass of water before dehydration spirals out of control.

Why the Brain Won’t Shut Up

The human brain is wired for foresight, primarily focused on planning for future events to keep you, the human, alive. It accomplishes this by analyzing past experiences—stored in the sensory body and limbic system (often dubbed the “trauma center”)—and connecting the dots as quickly as possible. The more intense a sensation, the more urgent the signal is deemed for your survival. In essence, your brain is constantly analyzing the past to make sense of the present and prepare for the future.

But here’s the catch: When your brain runs this cycle nonstop for years without a pause to process, it learns to rely on the most intense signals to get your attention. That’s why sitting with your thoughts and getting curious about them can feel outright impossible. It’s not a matter of willpower—it’s a biological response. Your brain and body first need to trust that you’re willing to start the conversation, to open the metaphorical email rather than let it pile up as unread.

If you live with anxiety or post-traumatic stress, your brain may be running double-time. It’s not just considering a few scenarios—it’s generating worst-case-scenario propaganda as a protective mechanism, preparing for threats that may never materialize. The mental energy drained by this process can prevent you from breaking old patterns, making it difficult to recognize that you have more agency over your thoughts and emotions than you realize.

In a fast-paced, digitized society, we’ve internalized the idea that our worth is tied to our productivity—we’ve become “human doings” rather than “human beings.” The constant need to do leaves little room to be, making stillness and introspection feel inaccessible. Our survival-driven, “monkey brain” stays so busy scanning for danger that it forgets a crucial truth: Most of our basic survival needs—food, water, shelter, and even some sense of community—are already met.

Acknowledging these present-day realities helps signal to your body that it’s safe, reducing the intensity of the alarms it sends. When your body feels safe, the brain can finally ease up, creating the mental space necessary to slow racing thoughts and allow for genuine presence.

The Fear of Stillness

Many of us fear stillness—not because we dislike peace, but because we’re terrified of what might surface when our minds aren’t distracted. We worry about the thoughts that might arise, the emotions that might resurface, and the vulnerability that might follow. It often feels safer to keep moving, to keep busy, hoping that if we outrun these thoughts long enough, they’ll simply give up and leave us alone.

But what if the “pest” you’re trying to escape is actually a past version of yourself, desperate to be acknowledged? What if the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings are not enemies, but echoes of a younger you—waiting patiently to be heard?

What if, instead of judging these parts of yourself, you simply listened to what they had to say? What if they weren’t threats, but messengers, carrying insights about unhealed wounds or unmet needs?

Rather than running, consider the possibility that these thoughts are invitations, not invasions. They aren’t trying to tear you down—they’re trying to guide you home.

Finding Flow: What Stillness Actually Means

At its core, stillness is how we can acknowledge, understand, and navigate our internal sensations. However, for many, stillness can feel like kryptonite. Too much stillness, held for too long, can make us confront overwhelming emotions and relentless thoughts, leading to “analysis paralysis.” This uncomfortable state often drives us to avoid stillness altogether, sending us running in the opposite direction.

Yet stillness itself is NOT inherently negative, nor is it as complex as certain pseudo-gurus might suggest.

Many self-proclaimed “life experts” exploit our discomfort with stillness, pushing narratives like “do more,” “suck it up buttercup,” or “here’s the top 10 reasons why you’re not enough yet.” Although these clickbait tactics garner attention, they ultimately harm your brain, body, and overall well-being. Scientifically speaking, this toxic messaging elevates stress responses, releasing cortisol and adrenaline, which impair cognitive function and physical health.

The reality is, if you neglect to establish harmony with your brain and body, your grand visions risk remaining relegated to vision boards. Instead of avoidantly waiting on the “Law of Attraction,” consider consciously practicing the “Law of Action.”

Every action (or lack thereof) has equal and opposite reactions within your physiological and psychological states. Ignoring signals from your brain and body amplifies these messages, increasing their intensity and urgency. Embracing stillness sooner allows you to tune into, and address these signals proactively, reducing their control over you.

Your objective in cultivating stillness should be to maintain conscious awareness while simultaneously deepening physical relaxation. This state is characterized by a calm, slightly energized body and a quieter brain, gently closing mental tabs without excessive judgment or active engagement. Allow your thoughts to pass through like air through a screen door rather than capturing them tightly in a jar.

True mindful meditation is genuinely mind-less; the aim is to clear the mind of unnecessary noise and anchor the body firmly in the present. Meditation doesn’t have to feel like a forced 20-minute chore where you’re striving for supernatural insights or lottery-winning numbers. Instead, it’s an intentional, integrated state of being that enhances your physical health and quality of life, accessible anytime, anywhere.

Effective meditation quiets the thinking mind, inviting your complete sensory awareness into the present moment. In this state, you’re consciously sensing, experiencing, and navigating bodily sensations before or as they reach your cognitive control center. This practice minimizes reactivity, trauma responses, racing thoughts, and physical tension by promoting neurological balance, regulating brainwave patterns, and supporting the autonomic nervous system.

Mindful meditation isn’t limited to stillness in the literal sense—it can also be achieved through conscious, intentional movement such as mindful lifting, yoga, or dance. Creative activities like drawing, writing, or painting similarly support the brain and body in processing complex sensory signals, providing alternative pathways for emotional and cognitive release.

The meditative state can emerge from any activity that brings your brain peacefully into the flow of the present moment. You can experience meditation during a shower, a walk, creative endeavors, workouts, or any space that feels authentic and freeing. Here, thoughts quiet down, your body relaxes deeply, and you exist simply in being, without the pressure of constant doing. After all, you’re a human being not a human doing.

The harmonious union of brain and body cultivated through stillness is often referred to as “flow.” Flow provides the opportunity to process, release, or experience emotions and tensions you’ve held onto excessively. During these moments, you might feel emotional release, muscle spasms, or the closure of outdated mental cycles. Recognizing that these emotions are temporary, valuable and natural, is crucial for your mental health, adaptability and emotional resilience.

Try these simple actionable steps today to clear your internal inbox and create room for new inputs, enabling a healthier, more balanced state of being.

WHAT’S NEXT? 5 Action Steps to Find Your Flow in Stillness

 

1. LET IT COME UP

Give those feelings or sensations the space they need to pop up naturally. Don’t try to hurry things along or tackle everything at once. Imagine you’re slowly unwrapping a gift—take your time and be gentle.

 

2. ACKNOWLEDGE IT WITHOUT JUDGMENT

Notice whatever emotions appear, even if they seem old or disconnected from what’s happening now. It’s okay if they’re leftovers from something you’ve been holding onto for too long. Simply recognize they’re there, allow yourself to feel them, and let them pass through.

 

3. TRACE IT BACK

Does it feel old or new? Gently ask yourself when you first felt this emotion or sensation. Don’t stress about finding the perfect memory—just breathe and wait calmly. Eventually, a memory or scene might appear. Notice your age, surroundings, and what event might have imprinted these sensations initially.

 

4. CHECK IN WITH YOUR PAST SELF

Think about what you genuinely needed back then but didn’t get. Be your own advocate, older-cooler-sibling, or mentor. Talk to yourself gently, like you’re comforting a dear friend. Share any wisdom, reassurance, or kindness that you may have needed at that moment.

 

5. LET IT GO & COME BACK TO NOW

Now that you’ve understood and acknowledged these past feelings, you can let them go, and walk this part of you home to the present. Use deep breaths, organic movements, expressive creative activities, writing, or talking to someone you trust. Letting go doesn’t happen all at once, and that’s okay!

Be kind to yourself during this process—it takes time and patience. Treat yourself with the same understanding you’d offer someone you care about.

*REPEAT THESE STEPS AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED UNTIL YOU FEEL LIGHTER AND MORE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR BODY IN THE PRESENT.*

Befriending Your Brain and Body

Once you start getting comfortable with stillness and allowing those feelings to bubble up, your fears become a whole lot less intimidating. It’s like visiting a haunted house—the first trip might scare the pants off ya, but by the 50th time, you pretty much know exactly where all the spooks are hiding.

With practice, you’ll learn exactly where your mind likes to stash its worries, doubts, and stresses, making it easier to brace yourself if they jump out occasionally. Eventually, you’ll navigate the twists and turns of your thoughts with greater ease, confidence, and—hopefully—a little sense of humor too.

Even though it might feel like your brain can be a big bully, pushing around your self-image, thoughts, and confidence, the truth is it just needs a moment to sort out the millions of signals it’s handling every single day. When you skip stillness and keep racing ahead, you’re basically telling your body to put healing and rebuilding on the back burner—mentally, emotionally, and physically. That’s just not fair to the past, and present, versions of you that have worked so damn hard to get here.

P.S. Fitness Bonus Tip:
Stillness can also be your secret weapon when gearing up for a big lift. Taking a moment of quiet right before your lift can help quiet down nerves and anchor your brain and body into the present. This tiny pause preps your nervous system, sharpens your focus, and sets you up for a powerful, confident performance!