The Anxious Achiever America’s Nervous System Is Dysregulated with Kate Woodsome
Nov 25, 2025
In this discussion with Kate Woodsome, a former journalist turned civic resilience researcher, the focus shifts to America’s overloaded collective nervous system. Kate delves into the link between personal trauma and societal polarization, emphasizing how stress impacts civil discourse. She highlights the role of technology in amplifying perceived dangers and discusses tools for leaders to foster compassion and dialogue. With insights on nervous system literacy, Kate advocates for practices that can strengthen democracy and support civic engagement.
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Democracy As A Nervous System
- Democracy functions like a living nervous system that can be healthy or burned out.
- Civic resilience means aligning individual, community, and system-level care so people can engage from a regulated state.
January 6th As A Turning Point
- Kate hit her wall after covering the January 6th Capitol attack and developed complex PTSD.
- That experience pushed her to connect body and mind and change how she works to protect wellbeing.
Tech Amplifies Perceived Danger
- Modern technology delivers constant perceived danger into our hands and overwhelms nervous systems.
- The speed and volume of information make regulation and traditional fixes insufficient on their own.