When Life Moves Too Fast: A Somatic Look at Adjustment Difficulties

My experience in Singapore and what adjustment disorder really means for the nervous system.

It’s been a month since I arrived in Singapore. I’ll be here for two more.
I thought the adjustment would be smoother after all, I’ve traveled and lived in many countries, I work with people through transitions, trauma, and nervous system regulation. But this time, I find myself more challenged than I expected.

The city is fast. The energy is sharp. Things move quickly here trains, people, communication, even eye contact. The nervous system of the city feels different.
And on top of that, something even more tender: my way of connecting with my partner is shifting too. What worked for us elsewhere is now being stretched. Different rhythms, different needs, new dynamics. It brings up a lot inside my body, in our connection.

So, I began asking myself: what’s really going on here?

And then, I remembered something I offer so often to clients:
Sometimes it’s not just stress or being overwhelmed. It’s a nervous system in adaptation, trying to survive something new.
This is what we call adjustment disorder.

What Is Adjustment Disorder?

Adjustment disorder is not a mental illness. It’s a natural response to a stressful life change. But it can become overwhelming when the stress is bigger than what your nervous system can integrate in the moment.

It can happen after:

• Moving to a new place
• Changes in relationships or family structure
• A new job, school, or pace of life
• Cultural changes or lifestyle shifts

From a trauma-informed and somatic perspective, adjustment disorder is what happens when your nervous system can’t find enough safety and familiarity to feel stable. You may notice:

• Anxiety or low mood
• Sleep disruption
• Irritability or sadness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
• More tension in the body

It’s not about something being “wrong” with you it’s about your nervous system not feeling fully met or supported in this new environment.

My Personal Adjustment in Singapore

As a somatic practitioner and bodyworker, I’m very tuned into the language of my body. So I began noticing:

• My breath is shorter here
• I feel tired but alert at the same time
• It takes longer to drop into rest
• My usual ways of co-regulating with my partner feel out of sync

These are not random symptoms. This is my body speaking.

The fast pace of the city, the intensity of light and sound, the way people move all of it is input for the nervous system. And mine is working extra to stay regulated.

Also, being in a different cultural field, I noticed how I connect with my partner is also changing. Our ways of seeking safety, of expressing intimacy, are adapting and sometimes clashing.

In SE (Somatic Experiencing), we say "the body needs titration” small steps, small doses. But life doesn’t always give us that.
So I must create it. Slowing down. Taking time. Staying curious.

When we enter a new situation whether it’s a new country, a new role, or a new relationship dynamic our body doesn’t just think about it. It feels it.

Your fascia, your breath, your posture all adapt. If the change feels too fast, too unknown, or too isolating, the nervous system goes into survival mode. Fight, flight, freeze or fawn. You might become hyper-alert or shut down.
You might feel “not yourself.”
That’s normal. That’s adjustment. It’s not a weakness it’s a process.

How I’m Supporting Myself Now

I wanted to share a few ways I’m working with my own nervous system during this transition maybe it supports you too, especially if you're in a moment of life change:

1. Daily Body Check-ins

Each morning, I take 5 minutes to ask: How is my body today? I scan slowly from head to toe. Where is there tension? Where is there flow? This helps me stay connected to what’s real inside not just the outside pace.

2. Regulating Touch + Movement

I use my own tools myofascial release, stretching, shaking, touch to support my system. A hand on the chest. A long exhale. It doesn’t need to be big, but it helps.

3. Naming What’s True

Sometimes I just need to say it out loud: This is hard.
I feel disconnected right now.
I miss softness.
Giving space to what is, without trying to fix it, is already regulating.

4. Rebuilding Connection with My Partner

I’m inviting us to get curious again:
What feels good here?
How do we co-regulate in this new place?
It’s not about going back to how it was, but meeting each other where we are now.

You Are Not Alone in This

If you’re also going through a transition new country, new relationship dynamic, new chapter you’re not alone. Adjustment disorder is more common than we think. It’s just often not named.

But naming it helps. So does kindness. So does connection.

We don’t regulate in isolation we regulate in relationship. With ourselves. With others. With place.
And when that connection is missing or changing, our body feels it.

So wherever you are, take a moment today to ask:

This is not a time to push through.
This is a time to listen, slow down, and co-regulate.

If this resonates with you, feel free to share it with someone who might need to hear it.

Challenge of the Week:

Take a moment to slow down and tune in.

• What is my nervous system asking for?
• Who or what helps me feel safe right now?
• Can I give myself a little more permission to be where I actually am?

I’d love to hear how this lands for you. You can share your reflections with me and send a message if something moved inside you.

With love and presence,

Eva