Why Slowing Down Makes Anxiety Worse at First

Fika Mental Health
5 days ago
3 min read

You finally decide to rest.

You clear your schedule. You put your phone down. You try to breathe.

And instead of feeling calm… your anxiety gets louder.

Your heart races. Your thoughts speed up. You suddenly remember everything you forgot to do. You feel restless, irritable, or even panicked.

If this has happened to you, you are not doing mindfulness wrong. You are not bad at relaxing.

There is a reason this happens.

Woman in bed, partially covered by white sheets, with a warm lamp in a cozy room. She gazes softly, conveying a calm mood.

When Busyness Becomes a Coping Strategy

For many adults in their 20s through 50s, staying busy is not just about productivity. It is protection.

Work.

Caretaking.

Scrolling.

Cleaning.

Helping everyone else.

Constant movement can keep uncomfortable emotions at bay. When your mind is occupied, you do not have to feel what is underneath.

Slowing down removes the distraction.

And when distraction drops, what has been waiting underneath often rises.

Your Nervous System Learned That Stillness Is Not Safe

From a nervous system perspective, anxiety is not random. It is protective.

If you grew up in chaos, unpredictability, or emotional tension, your body may have learned that staying alert equals safety.

In those environments, being relaxed might have meant being caught off guard.

So now, when you slow down, your system does not interpret it as rest. It interprets it as vulnerability.

Your body says, Stay vigilant.

That spike of anxiety is not failure. It is an old survival pattern activating.

The Rebound Effect of Suppressed Emotions

There is also something very human that happens when we stop.

Feelings we have been postponing show up.

Grief.

Anger.

Loneliness.

Fear.

Even joy that feels unfamiliar.

When life has required you to power through for years, your body keeps the tab open. Slowing down is when it tries to collect.

This can feel overwhelming at first because you are finally hearing what has been muted.

Why Rest Can Feel Uncomfortable Before It Feels Restful

Rest is not just physical. It is relational.

To truly rest, your nervous system has to believe you are safe enough to soften.

If your system has lived in fight, flight, or freeze for a long time, shifting out of that state can feel disorienting.

Some people describe it as:

Restlessness when trying to sit still
Racing thoughts during quiet moments
Feeling edgy on vacation
Guilt when not being productive
Emotional waves that appear out of nowhere

This does not mean slowing down is bad for you. It means your system needs a gradual transition.

Gentle Ways to Slow Down Without Flooding

If full stillness feels overwhelming, you do not have to jump straight into silent meditation.

Try transitional forms of slowing down:

A slow walk while listening to calming music
Gentle stretching instead of lying still
Journaling for five minutes instead of sitting in silence
Sitting outside and noticing one sensory detail at a time
Setting a timer for short rest periods and building slowly

Regulation is built in small doses.

Your nervous system needs experiences of slowing down that feel tolerable, not forced.

Anxiety Does Not Mean You Are Going Backwards

It is common to worry that feeling more anxiety when slowing down means something is wrong.

Often, it means your awareness is increasing.

You are noticing what was already there.

With support, your system can learn that stillness does not equal danger. But that learning happens through repetition and safety, not self-criticism.

When to Look Beyond Therapy Alone

Sometimes anxiety during rest is intensified by sleep disruption, hormonal shifts, blood sugar instability, or chronic stress on the body.

If your anxiety feels extreme, unpredictable, or physically intense, it can be helpful to collaborate with a nurse practitioner or dietitian alongside therapy. Mental health is not separate from physical health.

A whole-person approach matters.