Somatics - Humanness Coaching LLC

*** Please consult your physician before proceeding with any lifestyle changes. If you have a history of trauma, know that you are always in choice. Nothing here is obligatory. Follow your own pacing and if you become overwhelmed, seek additional supports or contact a therapist.***

Dear Fellow Human,

Somatics is simply a fancy word that means “body”. So when we are talking about somatics, we are talking about all things body. (1) This could mean anything from physical activities like martial arts or soccer, to practices like acupuncture or aromatherapy, or even pilates. The world of practices that involve the body is vast and far reaching.

What is especially significant about the body, is how much of a role it plays in stress. (2) If I had understood this earlier in my life, I could have saved myself so much time and agony. When I’d have moments where my thoughts were racing frantically thinking about what I’d need to do tomorrow or an issue I was having with a co-worker, instead of understanding that was stress happening in real time, I’d think I’d need to “solve my thoughts” to experience a sense of relief. So because I thought I had a “thought problem” I’d spend my time in my thoughts trying to solve things, which mostly just left me depleted and more stressed out.

And while thinking does have value and there is a time for problem solving, I’ve now learned to pay attention to the stress cues my body gives me first.

Paying attention to my body first can be called a “bottom up” approach. Knowing my body cues that tell me I’m mobilized help me realize when my stress button is set to on. This in turn helps me to stop chasing thoughts down the proverbial rabbit hole, and instead bring relief to my body first. When I do this, I know from neuroscience that I allow more of my brain power to come back online. (4) So while it may seem a bit counterintuitive, sometimes when we are stressed helping our bodies first can actually be what helps our brains… think of it as a version of being “hangry” (i.e. feeling angry/irritable because you’re hungry).

A mentor of mine once described to me that caring for ourselves with stress can be a similar idea to getting adequate nutrition. If we eat one orange once a year as our only source of fruit and think that will be sufficient, we are going to be lacking some key nutrients. Success with nutrition depends upon daily eating nutrient dense foods. This is a similar idea to caring for ourselves with stress. Instead of waiting until we are in a nutrition emergency because our resources are so depleted, daily doses of nutrition can be viewed as a form of preventative self-care. Likewise with stress, we can take wholesome preventative care of ourselves, instead of waiting until there is a crisis to act. It can be greatly beneficial to manage stress preemptively, as coming back from a crisis is often much harder. (5)

Think of managing stress

like you would your nutrition

While the power of exercise and what we eat and are wonderful ways to offset stress, there is also a vast world of stress relieving body based practices and gadgets out there. (5) This is something I’ve personally enjoyed exploring and experimenting with. Not every method feels stress relieving to each person, it’s very individualized. The point is finding out what feels relieving to you. A key in body based stress relief is noticing sensation without judgement. And, if a sensation becomes too overwhelming or unpleasant for you, it’s important to stop and give yourself a break. It’s a process of connecting our bodies, (ie our nervous systems) to things that feel safe and connecting, which soothes us and bring us relief from stress (ie threat). This builds resiliency. (6, 7) The more we practice this process of returning to a sense of safety, the easier it can get. (Note: in some people if it doesn’t get easier, there could be other factors at play like trauma that could use the guidance of a therapist. If you become easily overwhelmed when connecting with your body, seeking additional assistance from a therapist or physician is advisable.)

To make stress relief a little more tangible, I like to think of it in relation to the soma (body)… specifically to the physical senses:

Sight, smell, touch, taste, sound, vestibular and proprioception

There are so, so, so many things out there waiting to be tried. Of course many of these body based methods also overlap into more than one sensory based category. When trying a new technique go slow, pace yourself, and always feel free to stop at anytime if things become overwhelming or unpleasant.

Sight

Ahh sight, the world of color.

There are some gorgeous adult coloring books out there these days to try.
One sight based practice is called Mindful Noticing. A way this can look is by pausing, and paying attention to something in your environment. It could be stop and notice 3 things that are red. Or stop and notice something smooth.
There are also practices that involve switching the focus of your eyes from narrowing your vision to an object close in front of you, to widening your eyes to take in the larger room/horizon you’re in.
Or, there are also some really wonderful mindful art practices that you can experiment with.

Smell

When I got COVID, I lost my sense of smell for about a month and didn’t realize how deeply I appreciated it until then. There are plenty of ways to engage with smell.

Have your tried essential oils? Sometimes putting a scent that is calming to you on a cotton ball can be helpful to pull out in stressful times. Or they even make necklaces now that you can put your favorite scent on to carry with you.
Whether you’re cooking or out in nature, connecting to the smell of herbs and plants can be soothing.
Aromatherapy also has whole world available to explore.

Touch

There are SO MANY touch/physical stress relief things out there now, much more even than this list.

Self havening
Tapping
Breathing techniques
Acupressure mats
Massage tools
Puzzles
Fidget rings or toys
Vagus nerve Yoga

Taste

Mindful eating practices have become more popular lately. Have you ever tried them? You could even start by pausing and simply noticing things about the food you’re eating, like is it hot or cool, soft or chewy, spicy or sweet?

Sound

Listening to classical or instrumental music has a lot of proven benefits. (8)
Not in the mood for those, how about listening to whatever style of music feels resonate with you? You could even add movement for a dual sensory experience.
Or, there are many guided meditations, breathing, relaxation, or visualization audios.
There are even audio story books for adults for bedtime, which I find especially delightful.

Vestibular

Vestibular is our sense of movement and balance.

Walking through a labyrinth or maze
Or using a balance board or skateboard are examples of ways to connect with vestibular. (9)

Proprioception

Proprioception is our awareness of our bodies in relation to our environment. Like how we know that our feet are planted on the ground.

Or, grab something in your hands that add weight to them, and move your hands in front of you. Notice how your hands feel, how the experience of holding weight feels.
Cozy up with a weighted blanket
Sense your body in a bath
Try Tai Chi (9, 10)

Now that you’ve learned about so many options, what would you like to do with them?

Questions for reflection:

How do you connect to your body to decrease stress?

Which new body based techniques are you most excited about exploring?

In the spirt of the quality of life,

Kristen

References:

Our Hours

Mon – Fri

8am – 5pm (pst)

Sat – Sun

Closed

Embrace your humanness ℠