Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast · Heidi Mortenson, MA, LMFT

227. Training Your Nervous System for God's Presence

·27 min·1 clip

Trauma, overstimulation, and phone loops can make stillness feel unsafe.

1. Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast episode 227 centers on 'Training Your Nervous System for God's Presence.' 2. Heidi Mortensen hosts the episode and identifies herself as a licensed marriage and family therapist who also sits 'at the feet of Jesus.' 3. The episode asks whether restlessness is a spiritual failure or a nervous system learned for survival. 4. Heidi says overworking, overthinking, scrolling, binging content, and constant noise can keep the body from resting. 5. She links stillness to Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 30:15, Matthew 11:28, and 1 Kings 19:12. 6. Trauma, abuse, word curses, and difficult relationships are named as reasons the body may stay hypervigilant. 7. Heidi also blames modern stimulation, including the news, TV, social media, and phone-driven 'micro dopamine loops.' 8. She says boredom, agitation, numbness, and sleepiness can be a doorway into communion rather than proof of failure. 9. She describes waiting quietly in Lamentations 3:31 as training, not punishment. 10. She compares fear around stillness to Pavlov's dog and says the body may have learned that stillness means trouble. 11. Dr. Carolyn Leaf is mentioned as a neuroscientist whose work emphasizes safe pauses, rest, and healthier neural pathways. 12. Heidi says 'stillness is a skill,' not a gift, and not something reserved for the spiritually elite or for monks. 13. She adds that ADHD or a diagnosis does not mean a person cannot learn stillness. 14. Tiny practices matter, and she says 30 seconds, one minute, or three minutes can be enough to start. 15. Her suggested practices include soft eyes, a relaxed jaw, slow exhale breathing, and brief statements like 'God, I'm here.' 16. She recommends square breathing, body blessing, choosing a simple anchor like 'Jesus' or 'Abba,' and using quiet activities such as watercolor, music, writing, or painting. 17. The tone is pastoral and instructional, with repeated prayer, scripture, and direct coaching language. 18. The format mixes solo teaching, prayer, personal examples, and practical nervous-system exercises. 19. Listeners wanting Christian mental-health tools for anxiety and restlessness. 20. Skip if you want a fast, entertainment-first conversation.

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