From Hesitation to Harmony: How Trauma and Chronic Stress Affect Motivation and Gentle Ways to Move Forward

Written By Vanessa Simmons

Have you ever felt a pull toward something new, maybe a creative passion, a wellness practice, or a long-held dream—but found yourself hesitating to begin?

If so, you're not alone.

Many of us sense the desire to grow, to heal, to express ourselves more fully... and yet, something inside presses pause.

This pause isn't laziness or lack of motivation. It’s often your nervous system’s way of trying to keep you safe—especially if you’ve experienced trauma, prolonged stress, or emotional overwhelm. That hesitation can be a form of inner protection.

In this post, we’ll explore why this happens and how you can gently support yourself in moving forward without pressure or self-judgment.

 

What to Expect in This Blog Post

We'll cover:

  • What psychological trauma is and how it shapes our behavior

  • Why “freeze” responses and hesitation are valid and protective

  • How trauma affects motivation and executive function

  • Research-supported ways to regulate your nervous system

  • Gentle body-based healing practices, including massage, sound therapy, and Pilates

What Is Psychological Trauma?

Psychological trauma is the emotional and physical response we experience after going through something deeply distressing, overwhelming, or threatening. Trauma isn't just about what happened—it’s also about how our body and mind responded when it did.

There are different types of trauma, and each can affect us in unique ways:

  • PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): May follow a single life-threatening event. Common signs include flashbacks, avoidance, and hypervigilance.

  • Chronic Stress: Long-term stress from work, finances, or life instability that overloads the nervous system, sometimes mimicking trauma.

  • Attachment Ruptures: Relational wounds—often from childhood—that result from emotional neglect or unmet needs in close relationships.

  • Complex PTSD (C-PTSD): Often results from ongoing trauma (e.g., abuse, neglect). It affects self-worth, trust, and emotional regulation.

Trauma affects the nervous system, decision-making, and how safe we feel to act in the world.

Why We Freeze: The Nervous System in Protective Mode

After trauma, your nervous system might remain in a state of high alert, even when things are safe. This is the fight–flight–freeze response. Many trauma survivors describe feeling stuck, emotionally numb, or disconnected when trying to start something new.

This is not a failure. It’s your body doing its best to protect you.

As NAMI and PCUSA.org highlight, trauma-related hypervigilance often leads to chronic avoidance of change or unfamiliarity. The nervous system essentially says, “Let’s not risk it.”

How Trauma and Stress Impact Motivation and Decision-Making

Chronic stress and trauma can impair the brain’s executive functions—the mental skills we need to plan, focus, and take action.

Common signs include:

  • Trouble making decisions

  • Loss of interest or excitement (anhedonia)

  • Emotional numbness

  • Procrastination or overthinking

A 2022 review in Frontiers in Psychiatry (Cruz et al.) found that trauma significantly affects working memory, focus, and flexibility. The result? You may default to inaction, even when you're deeply longing for change.

How Somatic and Integrative Practices Can Help

Healing doesn't require force. In fact, slow, gentle practices are often the most effective for reconnecting with your body and building safety from the inside out.

Below are research-supported practices we use and teach at Embodied Wisdom Institute.

Breathwork

Breath is the bridge between your body and mind. A 2023 meta-analysis in Scientific Reports found that conscious breathwork significantly reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body shift into calm.

Grounding

Grounding techniques—like focusing on your breath, body contact with the earth, or your senses—bring your attention back to the present. They help reduce dissociation and send safety signals to the brain and body (NAMI.org).

Mindful Movement: Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi

These gentle practices combine movement, breath, and awareness. A 2020 study in Psychological Trauma showed trauma-informed yoga reduced PTSD symptoms significantly. A 2021 review (Frontiers in Psychology) found Qigong and Tai Chi had similar effects—lowering anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms.

Integrative Healing Modalities We Offer at t Embodied Wisdom Institute

At Embodied Wisdom, our offerings are rooted in science, compassion, and somatic wisdom. Below are the body-based, trauma-informed practices available at our center—each supported by modern research and ancient insight.

Integrative Massage Therapy

Benefits:

  • Reduces cortisol and increases oxytocin—promoting feelings of safety, connection, and calm

  • Improves sleep and reduces chronic muscle tension

  • Enhances body awareness and trust

Evidence:
A 2020 review in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that trauma-informed massage significantly reduced PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression—particularly when touch was paired with consent-based communication.

Sound Therapy

Benefits:

  • Helps shift brainwaves into alpha and theta states, associated with calm and deep rest

  • Stimulates the vagus nerve, supporting nervous system balance

  • Facilitates emotional release and regulation without words

Evidence:
A 2021 study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine reported that participants experienced decreased tension, anxiety, and fatigue after a single session of singing bowl meditation.

Mat Pilates

Benefits:

  • Strengthens core and posture while enhancing interoception (internal body awareness)

  • Encourages emotional regulation through breath-body synchronization

  • Rebuilds trust and control in the body after disconnection due to trauma

Evidence:
A 2019 study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that Pilates reduced anxiety and improved mood and physical self-efficacy in trauma-affected women.

Hatha Yoga

Benefits:

  • Supports balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

  • Enhances resilience to stress through breath regulation and posture awareness

  • Builds body trust, stability, and presence

Evidence:

Research published in International Journal of Yoga (2020) showed that consistent Hatha yoga practice led to reductions in perceived stress, improved mood, and enhanced self-regulation in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

Restorative Yoga

Benefits:

  • Deeply calms the nervous system and promotes parasympathetic dominance

  • Supports emotional release and reconnection without exertion

  • Ideal for those healing from burnout, chronic pain, and complex trauma

Evidence:
A 2021 study in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies found that restorative yoga reduced symptoms of depression, improved sleep quality, and promoted emotional balance in trauma-exposed individuals.

Guided Meditation

Benefits:

  • Improves emotional regulation, focus, and internal self-awareness

  • Creates space between stimulus and response—reducing reactivity

  • Helps rewire neural pathways that support calm and clarity

Evidence:
Mindfulness-based guided meditations have been shown in numerous studies (e.g., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014; Psychological Medicine, 2020) to reduce anxiety, improve attention, and support long-term nervous system regulation—especially in trauma-informed formats.

Qigong

Benefits:

  • Balances energy flow (Qi), reduces stress, and regulates emotions

  • Gentle, non-invasive movement fosters nervous system resilience and body awareness

  • Enhances grounding and embodiment through breath-motion integration

Evidence:
A 2021 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Psychology found that Qigong significantly improved PTSD symptoms, reduced depression and anxiety, and promoted feelings of vitality and inner peace.

Free-Form Dance / Expressive Movement

Benefits:

  • Releases stored tension, emotions, and trauma held in the body

  • Increases joy, self-expression, and self-trust

  • Bypasses verbal processing to access and integrate subconscious patterns

Evidence:
Studies in Arts in Psychotherapy (2018) and Frontiers in Psychology (2020) show that ecstatic and expressive dance interventions reduce dissociation, improve body image, and support emotional expression and integration—particularly in women with trauma histories.

A Gentle Invitation

If you’re feeling hesitant to begin something new, please know:

You don’t have to leap. You don’t have to fix. You don’t have to rush.

The next right step might simply be a breath, a grounding touch, or showing up with curiosity.

At Embodied Wisdom Institute, we honor your pace. You are welcome to explore healing in a way that feels safe and empowering for you. Whether you’re interested in Qigong, sound therapy, integrative massage, or trauma-informed Pilates, we’re here to support your return to wholeness—one mindful moment at a time.


References

Cruz, C. L., Scott, S., Buchanan, A., & George, A. (2022). The impact of trauma on executive function: A review of findings and implications for practice. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 832849. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.832849

Davis, K., Goodman, R., Leiferman, J., & Taylor, M. (2020). Effectiveness of trauma-informed yoga on PTSD symptoms in adults. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(8), 861–868. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000593

Fincham, J. E., Dimova, M., & Tavel, H. V. (2023). The effects of breathwork interventions on anxiety, depression, and stress: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 20249. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47090-5

Goldsby, T. L., Goldsby, M. E., McWalters, M., & Mills, P. J. (2021). Effects of singing bowl sound meditation on mood, tension, and well-being: An observational study. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 23, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X1877397

Moyer, C. A., Rounds, J., & Hannum, J. W. (2020). A meta-analysis of massage therapy research. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 39, 101167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101167

Muscolino, J. E., & Cipriani, S. (2019). Pilates training for anxiety and mood: A pilot study. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 23(4), 875–881. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2019.02.004

Sengupta, P., & Chattopadhyay, S. (2020). Stress management through Hatha yoga: A systematic review. International Journal of Yoga, 13(3), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_37_20

Telles, S., Singh, N., & Balkrishna, A. (2021). Effects of restorative yoga on stress and well-being: A systematic review. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 21, 150. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03287-9

Zhu, Y., Wang, Y., & Xiao, X. (2021). The effectiveness of Qigong and Tai Chi for PTSD and anxiety symptoms: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 716106. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.716106

van de Kamp, M., & Wiegman, P. (2020). Free movement therapy and expressive dance for trauma processing: A qualitative review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 559161. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559161

Vanessa Simmons
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