EASE OUT of Chronic Tension, Pain, Fatigue & Overwhelm
Week 3.3: Hidden Effort
"The 3 Places Hidden Effort Hides"
False Belief: "I don't brace that often."
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What you experience today:
What it feels like to uncover hidden effort in everyday moments.
You also discover:
✓ Why hidden effort can become a form of "borrowed strength"
✓ The three places hidden effort most often hides
✓ How unnecessary effort quietly adds to fatigue throughout the day
✓ Why five percent less effort can become a powerful practice
✓ How ordinary moments become opportunities for change
Today's Practice
Today, I want you to notice these three places.
1. Ordinary Movement
Notice simple movements like:
• Standing up
• Sitting down
• Walking
• Reaching
• Getting into your car
• Picking something up
Ask yourself:
"Is my whole body joining in... or only the muscles this movement actually requires?"
2. Doing Something That Matters
Notice yourself while:
• Answering emails
• Working
• Solving a problem
• Writing
• Studying
• Having an important conversation
Do you notice:
• Jaw tightening?
• Shoulders lifting?
• Stomach gripping?
• Breath pausing?
Simply notice.
Then ask:
"Could I do this with just five percent less effort?"
3. Preparing For Something
Notice what happens before you move.
Before you bend down.
Before you get on the floor.
Before you lift something.
Before you climb stairs.
Before you stand up.
Do you notice yourself:
Holding your breath?
Bracing?
Preparing for pain?
Expecting difficulty?
If so...
Let your breath fall.
Then perform the movement.
Notice what changes.
You don't need to force yourself to relax.
Just become curious.
Check In With Me
To get the most out of this program, reply by TEXT at
(469) 290-2531
-or- Email
And tell me:
"What was your biggest takeaway from today's session?"
And answer this question:
"Which of the three areas surprised you the most?"
- Ordinary movement
- Doing something important
- Preparing for something
Tell me where you noticed hidden effort showing up.
There are no right or wrong answers.
The goal today is simply to begin seeing what has been happening automatically.
One of the reasons hidden effort is difficult to change is because it often feels helpful.
For many people, tension can create a temporary feeling of stability.
Almost like the body is holding itself together.
Sometimes this becomes so familiar that relaxing even a little can feel strange or even unsafe.
This doesn't mean your body wants to stay tense.
It simply means your system has become accustomed to using extra effort as support.
Over time, that added effort may quietly increase the amount of work your body is doing throughout the day.
Not because you're weak.
Not because you're broken.
But because your body has learned to prepare, protect, and support more than the moment actually requires.
Today's practice helps your system discover another possibility.
Not no effort.
Not collapse.
Just enough.
Small moments of doing ordinary things with a little less unnecessary effort can become repeated experiences of safety.
And repeated experiences are what help create lasting change.
Selected References
Sterling, P. (2012). Allostasis: A model of predictive regulation. Physiology & Behavior, 106(1), 5–15.
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. The New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179.
Moseley, G. L., & Butler, D. S. (2017). Explain Pain Supercharged. NOI Group Publications.
Brosschot, J. F., Gerin, W., & Thayer, J. F. (2006). The perseverative cognition hypothesis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 60(2), 113–124.
Stay With The Process
This session will remain available for the next 3-5 days.
Not to create pressure.
Simply to help you stay connected to the practice while it's fresh.
If you ever need access again, just text or email me.
For today, keep it simple.
Catch hidden effort.
Choose one of the three places.
Experiment with five percent less.
Then let your body teach you what happens next.
