Understanding Stress Through a Somatic Lens
It seems as though the modern world sets us up for a chronic feeling of stress. The hectic pace of being rushed in the morning, trying to get your kids out the door on time before heading to work. The tense sensation felt in the middle of bumper-to-bumper traffic. The pull to respond immediately when you hear the ping of your phone. The to-do list that rolls around in your mind, waiting for you to check something off, so that it may fill the space with more, more, more.
You may even feel the same anxious urgency about needing to book that self-care activity, which becomes just one more thing you need to plan, do, achieve, before returning to life as you know it.
The problem with this level of near constant stress, is that our nervous system activates a survival response to protect itself from an assumed threat and moves into a state of “fight or flight”. Cue the racing heart, shallow breath, restlessness, tense muscles, nervousness, and rumination.
Using a somatic approach can be immensely useful in situations like these. When stress has our nervous system pressing on the gas pedal, we can work with the body to bring ourselves back down to equilibrium. Through engaging in movement, breathwork, visualizations, humming, or other somatic interventions, we can support the regulation of our nervous system. With time and practice, we are able to widen our nervous systems capacity to stay regulated despite the stress-laden forces we come across.
In this way, when we are inevitably faced with the stressors of life and begin to feel tension rising within the mind and body, we can turn inward and invite ourselves back to a place of safety and calm. When we do, we may find ourselves connecting with the world in an entirely different way.
If you’re curious about how somatic approaches could support your healing, our team can help.
Further Reading
10 Core Principles of Somatic Therapy: Healing Through the Body
Somatic therapy uses body-based principles to support healing from stress and trauma.
Preparing for Your First Somatic Therapy Session: What to Expect
Somatic therapy supports healing through both mind and body, helping release tension that talk alone may not reach.
From Tension to Healing: How Somatic Therapy Releases Trauma Stored in the Body
Trauma can live in the body — not just the mind. This gentle guide explores how somatic therapy helps release stored stress and reconnect you