Strategies for Body Based Relaxation
Anxiety Lives in the Body—So Does the Healing
Anxiety doesn’t just live in our minds—it takes up space in our bodies too. If you’ve ever noticed your shoulders tensing, your chest tightening, or your breath becoming shallow when you're feeling anxious, you’re not alone. These are the body’s natural responses to stress, and they can become automatic over time, especially if anxiety has been part of your life for a while.
What many people don’t realize is that relief doesn’t always begin with a thought—it often begins with a breath.
Understanding Anxiety Through the Body
Anxiety is more than racing thoughts or worst-case scenarios. It’s a physiological experience—one that activates your nervous system, preparing you for danger even when no real threat is present. Over time, this activation can lead to chronic stress, muscle tension, fatigue, and even dissociation from the body.
The good news? Your body also holds the key to healing.
Why Body-Based Practices Work
Body-based practices like breath work, grounding exercises, and gentle movement are incredibly effective because they signal safety to the brain. These practices engage the parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your system responsible for rest, digestion, and regulation. When we work with the body, we bypass overthinking and support real, lasting shifts in our state of being.
Think of it this way: if the mind is like a stormy sea, the body is the anchor that can steady the ship.
Simple Practices to Start With
Here are a few gentle tools you can try:
1. Box Breathing (4 Square)
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Exhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Repeat for 2-3 minutes, especially before stressful moments or bedtime.
2. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
A helpful way to bring you back into the present:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
3. Gentle Movement or Stretching
Even a 5-minute walk, light yoga, or simply placing your hands on your heart and abdomen while breathing slowly can help reset your nervous system.
4. Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Humming, gargling, singing, or placing an ice pack on the chest or back of the neck can help regulate the vagus nerve and support calmness.
What Therapy Can Offer
Sometimes, our nervous systems need more than at-home tools—they need a safe space to process, release, and rewire. In therapy, we can explore somatic techniques that help you build a more connected, regulated relationship with your body and emotions.
Therapy doesn’t just focus on coping—it helps you create safety inside yourself, so you don’t feel hijacked by anxiety or disconnected from your own body.
Healing from anxiety is possible, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. One breath. One grounding moment. One compassionate step at a time.
If you’re ready to explore body-based practices for anxiety relief or want to feel more connected and calm in your daily life, we’re here to support you.
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