Body Before Words: How to Tune In When You're Overwhelmed
Listening to body cues before responding can profoundly transform your emotional and physical wellbeing. Your body is a finely tuned instrument that reflects your internal state.
When you feel shaky, anxious, or snappy it’s often because you are responding to stress, trauma, and anxiety triggers from your past experiences — even if that was fairly recently. Recognising these signals can help you to connect more deeply with yourself, be more compassionate about your responses, and help us gently shift how we respond.
Take a Breath
When you experience discomfort, tension, or unease, it is essential to pause and attune yourself to these sensations and feelings.
For example, a tightness in the chest or throat might signal anxiety, while a flutter in the stomach could be excitement or nervousness.
When you experience a sensation, tune into it and let yourself feel it. This can seem counterintuitive. Why would d you want to feel more when you’re already feeling too much? Trust me. Pushing your feelings down, ignoring them, or hoping they’ll just go away definitely doesn’t work. Whereas taking a moment to notice a sensation, without judging or trying to rationalise it, brings us to a state or presence.
In this state of mindful attunement, you can approach the sensation with gentle curiosity which invites compassion. It stops us from panicking and overanalysing. And pathologising our experiences.
Observe
This somatic approach encourages you to observe how your body reacts in different situations and to embrace these signals as valuable information. What is it about that situation that is making you uncomfortable? It’s okay to acknowledge that something doesn’t feel right. You can then go into a deeper exploration as to why this situation is triggering something.
By listening first, we honour our physical experiences, building a foundation for deeper self-awareness. Think of it like training a muscle. Just as a well-toned and strengthened muscle can support our joints, bones, and bodies better, awareness allows our minds to engage more thoughtfully.
This means we can bring about a more compassionate dialogue between our emotions and intellect. And hopefully respond with less negative self-talk and more compassion for others as well.
Body Wisdom
Your body is wise. Before we learnt how to ignore it and overthink, or were taught by conditioning, societal pressures to conform, and internal biases, your body told you exactly what it needed.
Integrating this wisdom into your healing journey can empower you to make choices that nurture your wellbeing. Perhaps picking a gentle walk in nature over a glass of wine when you’re stressed. Or some nourishing stretches when we have a headache instead of automatically reaching for painkillers.
Body wisdom offers a path to greater emotional regulation, helping you to process past traumas and reduce chronic anxiety.
Your body can become a secret ally in understanding yourself more fully, leading to transformative healing and growth.
How to Tune into the Body to Reduce Overwhelm
Here are some tips to help you attune into your body wisdom. Practiced regularly, these simple approaches can be transformative in your healing journey. Remember, there are no quick fixes or short cuts to feeling better about yourself. And if you need professional help, then please reach out to claire@harmonyhealingservices.co.uk
I recommend practicing these approaches when you feel emotionally regulated first, so they are easier to apply when you feel dysregulated. But the magic really happens when you can start to use these practical tools when you’re feeling that overwhelm creeping up on you.
1. Recognise Physical Sensations
Begin by pausing to identify where you feel tension or discomfort in your body.
Tune into sensations such as tightness, heaviness, or restlessness.
Try not to label or ‘figure them out’. Just giving yourself space to feel is the objective here.
2. Practice Grounding Techniques
Stand or sit comfortably, placing your feet firmly on the floor.
Focus on the weight of your body and the support of the ground beneath you.
Experiment with gently moving side to side or back and forth to enhance your connection with the earth.
3. Breath Awareness
Shift focus to your breath; notice its rhythm and depth.
Practise deep breathing: inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four.
Use visualisation: imagine breathing in calm and exhaling tension.
4. Body Scan Meditation
Lay down or sit comfortably; close your eyes.
Slowly scan from your head to your toes, noticing areas of tension or ease.
As you identify tense areas, consciously relax those muscles while continuing to breathe deeply.
5. Movement and Stretching
Engage in gentle movement such as stretching, yoga, or dancing.
Focus on how each movement feels in your body.
Allow your body to move freely, expressing any emotions that come up.
6. Create a Safe Space for Emotions
Acknowledge any emotions that arise without judgement.
Allow yourself to feel emotions fully; use journaling to express thoughts and feelings.
Consider using art or music as another way to express your feelings.
7. Mindful Observation
Spend a few moments observing your surroundings.
Engage all your senses; notice colours, sounds, textures, and scents.
Bring your attention back to the present moment.
You don’t have to do all of these practices. Just pick one or two that particularly invite you in. Take time to regularly appraise how you’re doing, and if anything has changed. You may also want to check in with a trusted partner or friend as your evolution can be hard to see in yourself. It’s also important to regularly reflect on your journey. Only when we look back can we see how far we’ve travelled.
If you’re looking for professional help, check out my therapeutic coaching services or class schedule. I offer a free 30 minute consultation to all prospective clients to see if we’re a good fit and give you space to explore your concerns before committing to a therapeutic relationship. Use the button below to book.
