Quick Somatic Interventions to Calm Your Mind and Body Today

Nervous system regulation is the newest pop psychology buzz phrase. If you spend a few minutes online, it seems like everyone is talking about “feeling dysregulated” or needing to “regulate their nervous system.” 

I have to admit, they are onto something. With how loud our world can be and the multiple sources of sensory input - from the dog incessantly squeaking their toy at 7am, to the news, to our daily lives, our nervous systems can take a hit. After all, our nervous systems are intended to help us respond to real threats, and when our personal lives and world are already loud, even your loving partner popping their gum can be interpreted as a threat by your nervous system (which is why you may feel dysregulated at the drop of a hat).

We have two branches of nervous systems in our bodies - central and peripheral. The central nervous system includes your spinal cord and brain. The peripheral nervous system includes…well everything else. When you hear fight or flight, think peripheral nervous system.

So why are we talking about our nervous systems? I think it’s important to know how we are addressing the experiences in our body before we talk about Somatic Therapy interventions. Any type of Somatic Therapy is going to include interventions designed to equip your body and brain to respond better to threats. Your body and brain happen to be connected through the peripheral nervous system.

Below are three Somatic Therapy techniques you can try today. The aim with these exercises is to assist you in moving from fight or flight to rest and digest.

What: Grounding with the 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise

Why: A quick way to reconnect both your body and your mind is to pick one of your 5 senses - say sight, for example, and say five things you can see, aloud. You can take it a step further and describe what you are seeing. When you describe what you’re experiencing, you connect your body (through the senses) with your brain (describing the experience).

How: Look around your environment, name one thing aloud, describe it in detail (texture, distance, size, etc.). Repeat for four other items in your environment. You can do this for each sense, working your way down from 5. Next do 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, etc.

What: Progressive Body Scan

Why: Taking 1-5 minutes to slow down and focus on different aspects of your body and sensations can help down-regulate an up-regulated nervous system.

How: Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Begin noticing sensations at the top of your head or the bottoms of your feet. Notice any feelings present - could be nothing, tension, tightness, cold/warmth, pressure, etc. If there is discomfort or tension, briefly focus on that place in your body, take a deep breath through your nose and release it slowly out of your nose. Repeat as needed as you work your way up/down your body. 

What: Bilateral Stimulation (movement, sound, etc.)

Why: By connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain, we help the nervous system shift into rest and digest. There are a few theories out there as to why it works, the research is ever evolving, but overall we have seen positive impacts on anxiety management and trauma reprocessing with the added use of bilateral stimulation.

You might engage in more bilateral stimulation than you think. Walking is a great example! It’s what I always recommend to clients after they have completed a Brainspotting session with me.

How: You can try cross-body movements: like Frankenstein walks or forward folds bringing the opposite hand to the opposite foot. Butterfly taps are a good one - cross your arms like you’re giving yourself a hug; gently tap your fingertips to your shoulders. I also love bilateral sound - apps like Brain.fm have research-backed sound bytes that can help calm your nervous system. Whichever exercise you choose, I recommend engaging in it for 5-10 minutes, up to three times per day. Many people choose to do these exercises before bed to complement a good bedtime routine.

If you’re in Colorado Springs or Monument and looking for a therapist who specializes in body-brain integration or somatic therapy approaches, we’d be a great fit to work together. Somatic therapies are an excellent treatment approach to help you work through PTSD, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts.

Therapist for PTSD | Anxiety Counseling Colorado Springs Nervous System Regulation | Somatic Therapist