My Nervous System Made Me Do It
We’ve all said some version of it before — usually half joking, half apologizing.
“I know better, but…”
“I don’t know why I do this.”
“I just couldn’t make myself follow through.”
What if the truth is simpler — and kinder — than we’ve been taught?
What if your nervous system really did make you do it?
What if the reason you can’t stick to new habits is biology, not some internal failure in discipline or willpower?
Most of us were taught that change is about discipline: try harder, be more consistent, push through resistance.
NO PAIN NO GAIN!
But I’ve been taking a deep dive into better understanding what is really going on— and I see something very different.
I see people who:
know what to eat but can’t seem to stick with it
want to rest but feel restless or guilty when they slow down
intend to exercise and then crash into exhaustion
feel anxious, wired, numb, or “high-functioning but depleted”
or feel overwhelmed by the idea of even starting a new habit or trying to make a change
These aren’t character flaws.
They’re physiological states.
Your nervous system is constantly scanning for one thing: Am I safe?
When the answer is “not really,” your body shifts into protection mode — automatically, unconsciously, and efficiently.
That’s not weakness. That’s survival. And your biology prioritizes this above all else.
Under stress, the parts of the brain responsible for planning, consistency, and self-regulation become less accessible.
This isn’t psychological theory — it’s neurobiology.
When demand exceeds capacity, your system does what it’s designed to do: it conserves, avoids, numbs, or over-drives.
So when someone says: “I know what I should do, I just can’t…”
I believe them.
I have decided to put together a course that talks about habit change from this perspective. If you want to know more, click the link below to sign up!
