3 ways you can teach your nervous system safety

1) Acknowledgement

Acknowledging your emotions, including the uncomfortable ones.

Try to notice if you are trying hard to fix yourself when you feel negative emotions. When you notice this tendency, you can experiment using words of reassurance. Talking gently to yourself. Using kind words and a kind tone.

Then next, you can respond to the emotional need, when/if possible.

if you feel angry notice if your body wants to move. If sadness is showing up and you have space to cry, allow the tears. Listen and respond to the need to express whenever possible.

2) Orienting

When you feel unsafe, stressed or disconnected. Literally look around the room. Moving your neck slowly as you feel your feet on the ground, if you are standing, or feeling your sitting bone, if you are sitting. This helps bring your body back to the present moment.

3) Showing and moving forward with experiences that confirm your inherent value as a human being.

Showing yourself that you matter by giving yourself experiences that validate this truth.

If you are tired, rest
If you are thirsty, don’t make your body wait until you can give it a glass of water.

Start by noticing and responding to your basic felt sense needs. The need for rest is a good one to explore. Those of us with a history of trauma tend to power through no matter what. We deal with stress by trying harder and also trying to heal by trying to fix ourselves.

I invite you to notice if you have been ignoring your felt sense for slowing down and rest.
You may not even know you are doing this, as we often are not aware of what having limits feel like.

Add pockets of slowing down moments to your days. And assess how this new habit is supporting self-connection.

After a long break, open mic somatic group sessions are back this Sunday, the 30th. In these groups we slow down and explore the above principles. Inviting self connection in a gentle way. Sign up via the Group Sessions page.