Somatic strategies for staying centered these holidays
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and family gatherings. However, it can also be a time of stress, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions. If you're feeling overwhelmed or struggling to stay calm during the holiday season, somatic based practices and therapies may be able to help you feel more grounded, centered and peaceful through whatever this season brings you.
‘Soma’ is a Greek word for ‘the living body known from within’, or known to the Self. This ‘knowing’ signifies wholeness. Somatic therapy is an experiential approach towards mindbody integration. The pain, overwhelm, and coping responses manifested by trauma take us away from feeling at home in our body, and as a result there is often a split within ourselves.
Somatic Therapy helps:
• Restore the body as a place of safety while helping to expand the capacity to process body (preverbal and nonverbal) memory
• Metabolize unprocessed emotions
• Complete thwarted (incomplete) stress responses
• Restore our optimal relationship to our self and the world around us
Somatic therapy offers techniques for you to sense and regulate your own physiology and states of being. This includes building more internal and external resources, building trusting and co-regulatory relationships, learning to turn inward with compassion, being invited deeper in the body, and given time and space to process whatever is happening for you. These somatic techniques unwind trauma, help you to find your centre, and restore well being. By paying attention to and working with our physical sensations, we can gain greater awareness of our emotional states and find ways to regulate our emotions and behaviors.
Simple practices to try:
One way to practice somatic therapy during the holiday season is through mindful breathing exercises. Mindful breathing involves focusing your attention on your breath as it moves in and out of your body. When you notice your mind wandering or becoming overwhelmed, you can bring your attention back to your breath as a way to ground yourself in the present moment.
Another technique is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in your body. Start by tensing the muscles in your feet and then slowly work your way up to the muscles in your face, releasing the tension in each group as you go. This can help to reduce physical tension and stress in the body.
Another somatic therapy technique that can be helpful during the holiday season is sensory grounding. Sensory grounding involves using your senses to anchor yourself in the present moment and calm your mind. This can be as simple as focusing on an object in your environment, such as a candle or a plant, and noticing the details of its appearance, texture, and smell. You can also try listening to calming music or engaging in activities that involve your senses, such as cooking or painting.
Somatic therapy can also involve movement and physical activity. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood, so consider incorporating physical activity into your daily routine during the holiday season. This could be as simple as going for a walk or doing some stretches, or you could try a more structured activity like yoga or tai chi.
“It’s important to remember that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed or stressed during the holiday season. It’s a busy and often chaotic time, and it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. By practicing somatic therapy techniques, you can find ways to stay calm and grounded, even in the midst of the holiday mayhem around you.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another therapeutic technique that can be helpful for managing stress and emotions. EMDR is a type of therapy that uses eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation (such as tapping or sounds) to process and resolve traumatic memories and other emotionally disturbing experiences. By bringing our attention to the movement of our eyes or the stimulation being used, we can help our brains process and integrate difficult emotions and memories, leading to a reduction in distress and an improvement in overall well-being.
Finally, if you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed during the holiday season, it can be helpful to set boundaries and establish self-care practices. This might include setting aside time for relaxation, creating a daily routine that includes physical activity and self-care, and saying no to activities or obligations that don't align with your values or well-being.
If you're struggling to manage your emotions during the holiday season and would like additional support, consider reaching out to a somatic based therapist or practitioner. The right professional can help you tap into your own inner wisdom and help you to create a deeper sense of peace, calm and groundedness.
Explore The Embody Lab’s Somatic Therapist & Practitioner Directory and find someone to support you in this journey to actualizing your goals, make more intentional and empowered choices, and move closer to living a life of love, authenticity, peace and well-being.
