Try these simple techniques to soothe your nervous system.
These exercises come from marriage and family therapist Leah Sykes, LMFT, in Oakland, CA.
Anxiety is the experience of a nervous system that is not running smoothly. Many things cause anxiety including stress and trauma. Here are several simple somatic practices to soothe the nervous system. Each gently invites awareness back into the body and can create experiences of safety and calm. You can develop these techniques, or resources, at home and then apply them during stressful events. This practice of developing and applying your resources can play a central role in systemically decreasing anxiety.
Get grounded. Feel your feet. Stand up and bounce a little bit. Notice if it feels like the ground is reaching up to you, or if you are reaching down to the ground. If you have a tennis ball, take off your shoes and roll the ball under each foot. Imagine that you are exploring your foot for the first time. Spend extra time gently pressing the ball into tight or tender parts of your foot. Notice if you feel a difference between this foot and the one you’ve yet to massage. When you are finished with both feet, notice again if the ground is reaching up to meet you, or if you are reaching down to the ground. If you don’t have a tennis ball, you can move your feet on the ground, massage them, or wiggle and stretch your toes.
Practice reconnecting with this sense of grounding during stressful moments by simply bringing awareness to your feet. Push them into the ground and spread your toes in your shoes. See if you can recall the experience of rolling out or massaging your feet. Notice if bringing that experience to mind helps to recreate it in the present moment.
Extend your exhale. Take a moment to notice your breath, without trying to change anything. Be curious about how your breath is naturally moving. Take a breath in, counting to measure the length of the inhale. When you breath out, try to extend the exhale for a count or two longer than the inhale. Do this a few times, and then let go of the counting. Notice again how your breath is moving, and if there’s been any change. Extending the exhale brings your parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your nervous system that’s engaged when you feel relaxed and calm—back on board. You can do this exercise before, during or after a stressful event. Versatile breath!
Feel your skin. It may sound a bit odd, but it can be helpful to remember that you have skin. It is your primary boundary, the thing that holds you together and that interacts with the world. Connecting with your skin can strengthen a sense of containment, a nice counterpoint to anxious experiences of feeling out of control or out of your body. Begin by touching any exposed skin—hands, arms, neck ankles and so on. Next, notice how your clothing feels against your body. Now move your hands over the rest of your body. Try gentle squeezes, rubs or pats. Don’t forget to touch the back of your body, your face and the top of your head. Try shifting your attention between the feeling of touching (what do your hands notice?) and the feeling of being touched (how does your body respond to the touch of your hands?). During stressful experiences you can reconnect with that touch, or simply bring your awareness to your skin boundary.
Engage your large muscles. Sit in a chair with your legs uncrossed, feet on the ground. Pay attention to how you feel in your body. Can you feel where you’re touching the chair? Do you feel "in your head?" Now, push your feet into the ground and notice any difference in where your focus lies. Next, bring your hands to the outside of your thighs. Push your hands in as you push your thighs out. Again, track any shifts in your energy or experience. Finally, bring your hands to the inside of your thighs, just above your knees. Push your hands out as you push your legs in. Once again, track any shifts. Engaging your large muscles can help redirect your focus and shift energy, slowing and quieting racing thoughts. Perform these exercises during stressful situations or any time you feel “out of your body” and “in your head.”
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