The Healing Power of Stillness: Movement Isn’t Always the Answer

7-11-2025

By Dr. Howard Friedman MD | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps | Internal Medicine | HHOM LLC

In the hush of morning light, stillness speaks. Healing begins not with movement—but with the courage to pause.

In stillness, I met the part I’d lost—

Not in motion, not in cost.

The world says go, but I sat instead—

And found the strength to heal what bled.

—Dr. Howard Friedman, MD

Why Stillness Matters in a World of Go

We live in a world addicted to movement.Scroll. Swipe. Hustle. Fix.The culture says go, and if you’re not going, you must be falling behind. In todays culture of nonstop movement, the healing power of stillness is often overlooked—but it may be the very thing we need most.

Even our phones—misnamed “cellphones”—are more distraction devices than communication tools. The noise of traffic, airliners, constant alerts... it becomes internalized. We don't just hear noise—we carry it.

As both a physician and a veteran, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when we equate healing with exertion. Patients are urged to move more when what their nervous system truly needs is less. Veterans especially are told to push through—when the wisest path may be to pause.

Stillness Isn’t Inactivity—It’s Intentional Recovery

Stillness is not laziness.Stillness is not quitting.

Stillness is an active process. It’s the conscious downshifting of a hyper-vigilant nervous system. The clenched mind begins to soften. The body moves from a fight-or-flight stance to one of rest, repair, and rebalancing. Clinical research continues to support the healing power of stillness in regulating the nervous system, reducing inflammation, and restoring balance.

In medicine, we call this parasympathetic activation—the rest and digest response—and it is profoundly anti-inflammatory. In my practice, I’ve seen what stillness can do:

• Breath work instead of another prescription.

• Meditation over mechanical repetition.

• Gentle awareness where once there was grit and grind.

Stillness, in the right context, is medicine.

The Body Remembers—And It Needs Space to Process

Motion can be healing—but it can also become a distraction.

For trauma survivors, including many veterans, constant movement is often a coping mechanism. But if we never stop, we never feel—and what we don’t feel, we can’t fully heal.

Stillness allows buried wounds to rise—safely, in time. Whether it’s lying quietly in a dark room, sitting on the porch without your phone, or walking slowly with no goal in mind—these small acts give the body what it truly craves: space to integrate.

Stillness Is a Skill You Can Build

Stillness doesn’t come naturally in this culture. It feels unfamiliar—sometimes even threatening.

But like any skill, it can be practiced. Start with five quiet minutes a day. No app. No podcast. Just your breath.

Ask yourself:

• Where in my life do I move to avoid feeling?

• What would it look like to rest before I break?

• Can I honor my body’s call for stillness—without guilt?

  
  

Closing Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Move to Prove

Yes—movement has a place. But so does rest.

There’s a rhythm to real healing: do–be–do–be. Stillness is the be—a sacred pause between the efforts. We must reclaim the healing power of stillness as a valid and vital form of recovery—not an indulgence, but a necessity.

It’s not giving up. It’s giving in to something older, deeper, and wiser than willpower: your body’s own intelligence.

Sometimes that wisdom whispers.

To hear it…You must be still.

—Dr. Howard Friedman MD

Board-Certified | Internal Medicine | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps

Founder of Howard’s House of Medicine (HHOM LLC)

https://www.hhomllc.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is stillness really healing, or is it just another word for doing nothing?

A: Stillness is not the absence of effort—it’s a different kind of effort. It’s the practice of listening rather than reacting, of allowing the nervous system to reset rather than forcing it to push forward. In clinical terms, stillness activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure, and restores balance. For many—especially trauma survivors—this “doing nothing” is where the true work of healing begins.

Q: I’m a veteran. Stillness feels dangerous, even disorienting. What should I do?

A: That’s not uncommon. After high-alert environments, stillness can feel like exposure. The key is to ease into it—not to force silence, but to invite moments of slowness. Try grounding through breath, or noticing sensations in your body without judgment. Five minutes a day in a calm environment is a powerful place to start. Stillness is not surrender—it’s safe reconnection.

Q: How do I know when I need stillness versus movement?

A: Listen to your body’s cues. Are you exhausted but restless? Mentally foggy despite constant activity? Using motion to avoid emotion? These are signs that stillness—not stimulation—is the medicine. Movement heals when it’s restorative, not compulsive. Stillness heals when it’s intentional, not avoidant. Ask yourself: Am I running toward peace—or away from discomfort?