Why Tightness in Your Body Keeps You Stuck in a Stress Feedback Loop

I work with high-performing women who spend countless hours at their desks, hustling hard—but often at the expense of their bodies. Over time, this desk-bound lifestyle creates a domino effect: stress builds, muscles tighten, and imbalances take over, creating a vicious feedback loop of, well, feeling like crap.

Here’s the kicker: many of these women blame their age for why they’re constantly sore, tired, and overwhelmed. But let me tell you—while aging is inevitable, feeling like crap doesn’t have to be!

The real culprit? Chronic tightness in the body. It’s silently fuelling your stress and making it harder for you to feel energized and balanced.

In this blog, I’ll break down how tight muscles are keeping you stuck in a stress feedback loop—and, more importantly, how to break free so you can finally feel some relief.

Why Your Tight Muscles Are Keeping You Stressed

Ever wonder why your neck hurts, your shoulders feel tight, or you can’t shake those tension headaches? Most of us blame age, long work hours, or just “life.” But here’s the truth: that tightness in your body isn’t just a physical issue—it’s signalling to your brain that you’re under stress.

This is called the stress feedback loop, and it’s a big reason why chronic tension keeps you feeling stuck. Let’s break down how it works, how it affects your body, and how you can break free (one and for all!).

The Stress Feedback Loop: How Your Body and Brain Keep Each Other Stressed

When you’re stressed, your body activates the fight-or-flight response. This is great for handling short-term threats but becomes a problem when it lasts too long. Chronic stress leaves your muscles in a constant state of tension, which sends signals back to your brain that you’re still under threat—even if the stressor is long gone.

Here’s how it works:

1.   Stress Tightens Your Muscles

•   Prolonged sitting, poor posture, or emotional stress causes muscles (especially in your neck, shoulders, and chest) to tighten.

2.   Tight Muscles Signal Danger to Your Brain

•   Tight muscles send feedback to your brain through your nervous system. The brain interprets this as ongoing stress, keeping you in a heightened state of alertness.

3.   The Feedback Loop is Reinforced

•   Your brain reacts by staying in “stress mode,” releasing cortisol and perpetuating the muscle tension.

And here’s the kicker: your brain doesn’t know whether the tightness is from sitting at a desk all day or actually running from danger. It just assumes something is wrong.

How Chronic Tightness Shows Up in Your Body

Image from Cleveland Clinic

(See a video on Instagram I created HERE)

One clear example of this feedback loop is winged scapula, a condition where the shoulder blades stick out instead of lying flat against your ribcage.

What Causes Winged Scapula?

•   Tight chest muscles from hunching over desks or devices.
•   Weak back muscles like the serratus anterior and rhomboids.
•   Overactive traps that pull your shoulders toward your ears.

Symptoms You Might Feel:

•   Tension headaches: Tight traps pull on your neck.
•   Shoulder pain: Poor scapular alignment puts strain on the shoulder joint.
•   Upper back pain: Weak mid-back muscles fail to support posture.
•   Numbness or tingling in arms: Tight chest muscles compress nerves.

Winged scapula is just one example of how imbalances create pain and stress, but similar patterns exist throughout the body.

The Hidden Cost of Chronic Muscle Tightness

Tension in your body doesn’t just hurt—it can disrupt major systems and functions:

1.   Breathing Patterns: Tight chest and shoulder muscles restrict your diaphragm, leading to shallow breathing that reinforces stress.
2.   Reduced Vagal Tone: Chronic tension lowers your ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you relax.
3.   Emotional Overload: Tightness can leave you feeling physically stuck, which often translates into feeling emotionally and mentally stuck, too.
4.  Digestive Issues: Tightness in the body can restrict internal organs creating digestive issues or perceived food intolerances.

Tips to Break the Stress Feedback Loop

1. Move to Release Tension

Movement helps address muscle tightness and prevent imbalances:

•   Strengthen weak muscles (like the serratus anterior, rhomboids, and traps).
•   Stretch tight areas (like the chest and upper traps).
•   Incorporate functional movements like yoga, Pilates, or scapular stability exercises.  A special note if doing yoga, pilates, or other training programs: DO NOT strengthen the already tight muscles.  Be cautious of stretching already lengthened muscles.  A tailored program to your imbalances is critical to prevent further issues.

2. Use Somatic Stress Release

Somatic practices like tapping, shaking, or gentle bodywork can help release stored tension and reset the brain-body connection.

3. Activate Your Vagus Nerve

Stimulating the vagus nerve tells your brain it’s safe to relax. Try:

•   Deep diaphragmatic breathing.
•   Gentle humming or chanting.
•   Neck stretches or self-massage.

4. Change Your Sitting Habits

If you’re desk-bound, set reminders to move every 30–60 minutes. Even small shifts in posture can prevent chronic tension from building up.  Something else that I am obsessed with, and many clients are as well, is a desk treadmill to get moving throughout the day!  If this is not possible incorporate a standing/ sitting desk so you are not in the same position all day.

5.   Hire a Wellness Strategist 

This is where I come in.  A wellness strategist like myself won’t just write you a training and nutrition program, you will receive a holistic approach to releasing tension, improving posture, and kicking stress in the ass (in and out of the gym).

Final Thoughts: It’s Not Just in Your Head (or Your Neck)

Stress and tension in the body aren’t just physical issues—they’re part of a feedback loop that keeps you feeling stuck, tired, and overwhelmed. The good news? By addressing tightness through movement, somatic work, and breath, you can break the cycle and feel more grounded, energized, and balanced.

Your body knows before your brain does. The sooner you listen, the sooner you’ll feel like yourself again.

If you are looking for support with this please see: https://www.ashleybrianaeve.com/ or email [email protected] for more information.

Ashley

Unfck Your Health with ABE