The Science of Safety: Polyvagal Theory in Executive Burnout Recovery
More Than Strategy
Ask an executive how they manage stress, and you’ll hear strategies: time management, exercise, delegation. Yet beneath this sits something more fundamental: the nervous system.
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, transformed our understanding of how humans respond to stress. It explains why, under pressure, even the most capable leaders can feel hijacked by anxiety, irritability, or emotional numbness - and why nervous system regulation is the foundation of sustainable leadership.
The Nervous System at Work
Polyvagal Theory describes three primary physiological states:
Safe / Social Engagement: open, connected, collaborative, able to think clearly.
Fight / Flight: mobilised, reactive, focused on survival.
Freeze / Shutdown: withdrawn, disconnected, or emotionally flat.
Many executives oscillate between fight/flight and freeze without realising. Chronic stress traps the body in survival mode, gradually eroding perspective, creativity and empathy, all of which are essential for attuned, effective leadership.
Why This Matters in Leadership
Teams don’t just follow what leaders say, they attune to how leaders feel. A nervous system in survival sends subtle cues of tension, urgency, or defensiveness, shaping the emotional climate of a team. Conversely, a committed leader with a regulated nervous system transmits safety, steadiness, and clarity; the conditions under which people perform at their best.
The Role of Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy informed by polyvagal awareness helps leaders move beyond insight into embodied change. It focuses on:
Noticing physiological cues of stress in real time.
Learning techniques to shift from survival to safety.
Using the therapist’s attunement to build co-regulation and, over time, self-regulation.
This isn’t about eliminating stress - that’s neither realistic nor desirable in high-level leadership. It’s about increasing capacity: the ability to absorb and recover from challenge without collapse or escalation.
Case Example
A managing director describes constant reactivity. Small setbacks feel catastrophic. Through therapy informed by polyvagal awareness, she begins to recognise cues of fight/flight and practises grounding and breathing techniques to return to safety Over time, her team describe her as calmer, more open, and easier to approach, without any loss of drive or authority. .
Leading from Safety
Strategy matters. But strategy rests on physiology. Leaders who learn to regulate their nervous systems embody resilience; not as a concept but as a relational reality.
Psychotherapy grounded in the science of safety offers executives a discreet, evidence-informed way to recover from burnout and lead with clarity, confidence and calm.