Growing Tall Poppies Podcast Season 3, Episode 104

When Your Nervous System Finally Exhales

Podcast| Growing Tall Poppies| Season 3
May 13, 2026•2 min read

Growing Tall Poppies Podcast: Season 03, Episode 104

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What happens when you finally stop pushing... and your nervous system gets the space to just be?

In this episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr Nat Green reflects on a recent journey celebrating 30 years together - travelling through San Francisco and the breathtaking Canadian Rockies - and the unexpected insights it revealed about nervous system regulation, trust, presence, and post-traumatic growth.

From awe-inspiring glaciers and frozen lakes to the surreal experience of driverless cars, this conversation explores why so many high-functioning women struggle to truly switch off - and what may be happening beneath the constant drive to keep moving, producing, and staying “on”.

If you’ve ever felt like you should be able to relax... but can’t fully get there... this episode will resonate deeply.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

  • Why slowing down can feel uncomfortable - and even unsafe - for high-functioning women

  • The hidden nervous system patterns behind constant productivity and urgency

  • How awe and nature support nervous system healing and regulation

  • Why achievement doesn’t create safety (and what actually does)

  • The connection between trust, control, and trauma patterns

  • How to begin experiencing presence without forcing it

  • The subtle difference between “resting” and truly being

  • Why you don’t need to push harder to feel better

Key Reflection

You don’t have to earn rest.

And you don’t need to keep pushing to prove your worth.

Sometimes healing looks less like doing more work... and more like finally feeling safe enough to experience presence, connection, joy, and stillness.

Gentle Invitation

As you move through your week, notice:

  • Can you soften without needing to “deserve” it first?

  • Can you experience a moment without needing to optimise it?

  • Can your system begin to trust that stillness is safe, too?

Learn More & Connect

Follow or connect with Dr Nat for reflections, tools, and insights on identity, nervous system integration, and post-traumatic growth:

Next Episode

👉 Episode 105 - What Alcatraz Taught Me About the Invisible Prison High-Functioning Women Live In

Previous Episode

👉 Episode 103 - When Trust Is Broken: What It Does To Your Nervous System

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Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Growing Tall Poppies Podcast

Hosted by Dr Nat Green, this podcast empowers individuals to rise above trauma and create lasting transformation. Each episode features inspiring stories, expert advice, and practical strategies to help you break free from adversity, build confidence, and thrive. Tune in for real conversations that inspire personal growth and resilience.