For many people, a pause sounds like something desirable – rest, silence, a chance to recover. Yet in reality, moments of stopping often bring anxiety, inner tension and the feeling that “something is wrong.” Dr. Daniel Reinhardt emphasizes – the inability to relax is rarely about a lack of rest skills; more often it points to a deep fear of being alone with oneself. At MindCareCenter, we frequently see how a pause becomes not a space for recovery, but a source of distress.
At MindCareCenter, people come who are constantly in motion. Work, tasks, plans, caring for others – all of this fills life so completely that there is no room left to stop. At the same time, attempts to slow down create discomfort – the body tenses, thoughts accelerate, guilt or anxious anticipation appears. A person may say they “don’t know how to rest,” but in reality they fear what might surface in silence.
Our psychologists at MindCareCenter believe – such reactions are often formed in experiences where calm was not safe. If relaxation in the past was associated with loss of control, vulnerability or punishment, the nervous system learns to remain on guard. Activity then becomes a survival strategy, while pauses are perceived as a threat. Even when external danger no longer exists, the body continues to live by old rules.
Gradually, at MindCareCenter, a person begins to notice that constant busyness serves a protective function. It helps avoid contact with fatigue, emptiness, suppressed emotions or unresolved inner questions. Movement makes it easier not to feel. But the cost is high – chronic tension, exhaustion and the inability to truly recover.
Work with this state at MindCareCenter does not begin with advice to “rest more.” In Dr. Reinhardt’s view, it is impossible to relax on command when there is no inner sense of safety. Therefore, in therapy we first explore – what exactly makes pauses anxiety-provoking, which experiences arise when external activity disappears, and which internal prohibitions activate during moments of rest.
Our psychologists help gradually restore contact with the body. A person learns to notice signals of tension and distinguish – where it relates to the current situation and where it is a habitual reaction. Through work with breathing, attention and slowing down, a new experience begins to form – an experience of pause in which nothing dangerous happens. This process takes time, as the nervous system needs to relearn safety.
Over time, at MindCareCenter, a person begins to perceive rest differently. It stops feeling like emptiness or wasted time and becomes a space for recovery. Pauses become less frightening because support appears within them – a sense that one can simply be, not only do. This shifts not only the relationship with rest, but with life as a whole.
It is important to note – the ability to relax does not mean abandoning responsibility or activity. It means having a choice – when to act and when to stop. At MindCareCenter, we see how restoring this capacity reduces anxiety levels, improves sleep and brings greater stability into everyday life.
If you notice that rest creates more tension than relief, that pauses feel anxious and uncomfortable – this is not about laziness or weakness. It reflects a nervous system that has lived in readiness mode for too long. At Mind Care Center, we help people gradually exit this state – restoring to both body and psyche the experience of safe rest and inner balance.
Previously, we wrote about the habit of living by others’ expectations and how MindCareCenter helps reclaim authorship of one’s life.