Getting yourself out of a trigger (simple somatic exercise)

When you experience a trigger, your body is “thinking” that what happened in the past, (the original trauma) is happening now. Your whole system is having a memory that got triggered in the present. Most times the memory is implicit (memories you can’t consciously recall).

It’s important to keep in mind that your body has done an incredible job in keeping you safe and alive. Your body’s sophisticated physiological mechanisms work with precision. Your nervous system responds to stimuli before you can have a thought. You don’t choose these responses. Your body simply chooses the most efficient way to protect you.

And because your system got “stuck” in a setting of self protection that happened in the past, it can equally get unstuck, reshaping itself.

Your body needs to be shown, not told, how to react in such situations that don’t require your self-protective mechanisms.

Next time you notice an unwarranted response try this:

🌿 Feel your feet and look around the space/room you are physically occupying. Literally looking around the room moving your neck slowly, stopping in certain places if necessary, and paying attention to details you see.

This way you are showing your body that you are here, now and that there is no immediate danger.

You can also use this simple exercise when you notice yourself getting flustered or overwhelmed. Better yet, use it when there are no triggers, to help bringing yourself back into your body as often as you can.

Try it.

It seems simple, but it works wonders.
Let me know in the comments how you find it after trying it a few times.