This is Part 2 of a two-part series.

In Part 1, we explored how early relational experiences and societal pressures create rest resistance in driven women. Now we'll examine the neurobiological mechanisms behind this pattern and discover practical approaches for gradually rebuilding your capacity for stillness.

Olivia, a former therapy client of mine (name and identifying details changed for privacy), a successful creative director at a prestigious advertising agency, sits perfectly still in our session, her posture almost unnaturally composed. When I ask about her sleep, she responds with precise data from her tracking app—hours, cycles, oxygen levels—but seems disconnected from the actual experience of rest.

"I can tell you all the Oura ring metrics," she says with a small, self-deprecating laugh, "but I can't tell you what it feels like to be rested. I'm not sure I've ever known."

Beneath Olivia's polished exterior lies a complex relationship with stillness. Childhood sexual abuse created a profound disconnection from her body—a survival mechanism that allowed her to endure the unendurable. Her nervous system learned to oscillate between hyperarousal (intense creative work sessions lasting 12 hours) and hypoarousal (periods of emotional numbness and creative block).

"When I try to rest, it's like I'm falling through space," she explains. "There's this moment when my body starts to relax, and then panic hits. Sometimes I

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