How to Calm Anxiety with this Somatic Self-Coaching Exercise

21 Nov

It’s no secret that Anxiety is rife today, with social media, the political climate and economic hardships certainly not helping things. There are countless ways you can look to tackle anxiety and today we’re going to walk through a simple somatic exercise anytime you feel anxiety rising. Please note if you suffer from sever anxiety than do consult your doctor before trying these methods.

Anxiety lives in the Body

It’s becoming more and more widely accepted, both in the medical community and in the mainstream, that much of our stress and anxieties live in the body, not just the mind. As a result, it’s really helpful to have a method of releasing stress in the body, not just focusing on the mind. . Here’s a 5 minute method you can do in the morning or evening, as well as any time stress and anxieties start to rise.

Step 1 - Ground yourself in a safe area and close down your eyes

Make sure you feel safe enough where you are to turn your attention inwards and close down your eyes

Step 2 - Slow down and become aware of your breath

Notice the air as you breathe in and out of your nose- take note of the temperature of the air, and intentionally slow down your breath slightly. It can be helpful to mirror the tempo of breathing you would have when you fall asleep at night. Slowing down your breath automatically calms down your nervous system

Step 3- Focus your awareness in your chest

With your breath slowing down, bring your attention to your chest space, to your heart. Most of the time placing a hand there can naturally bring your attention here without you having to try too hard. Start to breathe slowly into this area, keeping the same tempo as before. If your chest feels very tight or has a lot of tension in it and you find it heard to breathe into the centre of this area, that’s ok. Just breathe into the edges of the space, or as close to your chest space as your body allows. Continue to breathe into this area for one minute.

Step 4- Visualise a ball of light

Start to visualise a ball of warm light in your chest area. Feel the warmth of it in your chest. Imagine how it would feel in your heart space and slowly picture it becoming bigger in your body, and radiating out of your chest and into the room you are in.

Step 5- Think of something which you feel gratitude for

As you hold this ball of light in your chest area, think of something or someone in your life you feel gratitude for- it could be a person, a pet, a child, a place in nature, a song- anything which you feel thankful for. Hold this image in your mind for one minute, picturing details of how it looks. You will start to feel the warmth in your chest expand.

Step 6- Bring your awareness back to any anxiety you still feel

As you bask in the warmth, return your attention to the situation causing you stress. Breathe and focus on your heart again as any feelings of stress or anxiety come up. Be focused and committed to breathing slowly as you notice and accept any intense feelings which come up. If they start to overwhelm you, return your attention to your chest and your gratitude image. As you continue to breathe and relax and let the feelings wash over you, you will slowly dissipate the anxiety. Repeat until you reach a level of peace in the body.

This simple exercise can be performed anywhere you can find privacy. If you would like to be guided through this method (and others) over a longer period of time, I offer 1:1 Somatic Coaching to help guide your body into safety and calm. Reach out here to book a free somatic taster session and experience the transformative benefits of somatic coaching.