Domain: Stress & Threat Activation 3-5 min read Updated: 2026-01-15

The Feeling of Waiting for Impact

There is a feeling

of waiting for impact.

Nothing happens,

yet readiness remains.

This expectation

without event

is exhausting.

Naming it

clarifies the mismatch.

The body prepares

for something

that does not arrive.

You are not overreacting—

you are waiting.

Recognition

allows the system

to reconsider

whether readiness

is still required.

Name expectation without event with DojoWell.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I feel a sense of "dread," like something bad is about to happen, but nothing does. Why?

You are "Waiting for Impact." This is "Expectation without Event." In the Meaning Density Model™, your Threat system has initiated a "Bracing Loop," but because no "impact" occurs, the loop never closes. You are stuck in a state of "Infinite Readiness." This is more draining than a real crisis because a real crisis eventually ends, whereas "waiting for impact" can go on indefinitely, shaping your entire world into a place of "Potential Catastrophe."

How do I close the loop if the "bad thing" never happens?

You must "Acknowledge the Non-Event." Tell your system: "The impact I was braced for did not happen." This "Narrative Landing" allows the loop to finish. In DojoWell, we use "Closure Rituals" for things that didn't occur. Take a deep breath and "reset" your physical posture. By consciously declaring the "Waiting Phase" over, you provide the structural "Done" signal your architecture needs to stand down from its defensive crouch.