Restless Rest: Emotional Exhaustion and How to Begin Resting When Rest Feels Unsafe

When your body begs for rest, but rest feels like danger — that’s emotional exhaustion.

In this episode of Numbness Paralysis – The PTSD Podcast, host Olga Costa explores why calm can feel suspicious for those living with Complex PTSD, emotional numbness, or long-term hypervigilance. Through listener stories, poetic metaphors, and trauma-informed science, Olga gently unpacks why stillness can trigger old alarms and how to slowly reintroduce the body to safety.

We talk about micro-resting, softening the edges of rest, and creating safe spaces where relaxation is possible. You’ll also hear “The Bird That Forgot to Land” — a metaphor for a nervous system that has flown too long without trust in the ground.

This episode is an invitation to stop fighting you ...