Last blog addressed what triggers are and where they come from. This blog is going to dive a bit deeper into how to support yourself when you are experiencing a trigger or stressful event, and are needing skills for relief.
As we mentioned last week, one of the ways to work with triggers is to ground yourself, and orient to the room around you. This week we are practicing orienting yourself to your body so you can support yourself when triggered. Next, I will give you 6 steps for you to practice for relief.
How to orient you to your body:
What does your posture feel like? are you slumped, rigid, or have a flexibility to your stance?
What's your natural heart rate? Quick, slow?
Where do you carry tension? does it present as a knot in your stomach, neck/back pain, a headache, a tingling in your fingers or twitching of your eye?
What external or internal elements offer a sense of calm? A favorite sweater, drink, place (beach, sofa), or experience with a loved one?
What external stimuli often trigger you? loud sounds, dark at night, social interactions?
Begin asking yourself these questions to increase your somatic, mind-body awareness.
When you're healing from anxiety, trauma or are experiencing emotional triggers, it can be difficult to feel like your body is supporting you.
However, an important element in healing and getting stronger is inviting your body to help you, to be aresource.
As Babette Rothschild, Trauma Specialist, suggests learning to engage with your body as a DIARY. Begin taking "notes" from what your body is expressing bytuning inward.
Rothschild writes in her book, The Body Remembers,
"It is through sensory storage and messaging that the body communicates. It holds many keys that help in identifying, accessing and resolving traumatic experiences" (Rothschild, 2000).
According to Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, a somatic, body-focused therapy, everything we experience and all the sensations felt on and in the body are forms of communication needing to be expressed.
Think of your triggers as a google translate to knowing what is happening on the inside.
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In order to offer relief, we want to notice what is happening, and then process and release the experience on a mind and body level (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Ogden, Minton & Pain, 2006).
Next time you feel triggered, practice this 6 step somatic exercise to help you process through the experience and experience relief. Practicing this may also help you identify the stimuli that contributed to the change in "homeostasis" so that you can have awareness for the future.
A 6-step somatic exercise:
1.Notice.
Inhale and exhale. Notice what you feel on,in and aroundyour body. Speed of breath, heart rate and body temperature.
2.Think back to safety.
Think back to at a recent moment you felt most calm, safe and most like your “self”.
3. Identify.
Identify at what point in time and/or which part of your body began experiencing disturbance or stress.
4.Replay.
Replay the scenario from calm state to stressed state, in slow motion (as if watching a slow movie). Identify people, conversations, objects or behaviors that may have made you stressed, uncomfortable or that stand out to you as you're replaying the recent event(s).
5. Tune in.
Tune in to your body sensations as you recall the event(s) and slow down and notice if there is any shift in your body, a sensation of tingling, tensing, warming, numbing or cooling in your chest, arms, legs, face or an overall change in body temperature.
6.Healing hands.
Place your hand on the area that has experienced a shift or change, and breath deeply. If it's an overall feeling, you can simply place your hands on your heart.
Doing this allows the body to process the somatic experience, and creates a passageway to release the tension.
Notice if something comes up, an image, sensation, awareness or understanding that offers clarity to the situation. If nothing comes up, that's ok. Simply slowing down, pacing your breath and raising awareness is progress and helpful in itself.
I encourage you to practice this after an upsetting experience, to allow your body to process the emotions and communications of your body. You may also choose to practice this before a stressful situation so that you can identify potential triggers and plan ahead ways to support yourself.
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As you go about your day, I encourage you to tune in to you body.
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It is important to note that this exercise is not in place of trauma therapy, rather it is a skill you can practice on your own adjunctive to good therapy work. If you are in therapy and notice something new while doing this exercise,jot it down and bring it to your therapist for deeper and continued work. if you are not in therapy and realize that a lot has come up for you, I encourage you to begin your healing today.
Counseling can help you release the tension and somatic stress carried on your body.
If you have been experiencing tension, anxiety, or trauma symptoms that express themselves in the body, due to something from the past, or specific to something that’s come up,I encourage you to reach out to a therapist today.
Do you live in New York and want to begin the deeper work with a therapist?
Now offering virtual and in person therapy for clients living in Long Island and across New York State, and are available to help you!
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At our practice, we offer EMDR therapy, Somatic therapy, Attachment-Informed methods, Cognitive therapy, Internal Family Systems/Parts work and Expressive methods to help you experience relief.
Schedule your free 15 minute consultation by clicking here- to help you begin healing today!
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Sources:
Ogden, Minton & Pain (2006) Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)1st Edition
Rothschild, B (2000) the Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment
Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Esther Goldstein
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Comment
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or expertise. However, I can provide information and insights on various topics based on the data and knowledge I have been trained on. Here is some information related to the concepts used in this article:
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Triggers: Triggers are events, situations, or stimuli that elicit strong emotional or physiological responses in individuals who have experienced trauma or have anxiety-related conditions. Triggers can vary from person to person and can include sensory cues, thoughts, memories, or environmental factors that remind them of a traumatic event or cause distress.
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Grounding: Grounding techniques are strategies used to help individuals feel more present and connected to their immediate surroundings. These techniques can help individuals manage symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, or emotional distress by redirecting their focus to their physical environment. Examples of grounding techniques include focusing on sensory experiences, such as feeling the texture of an object, listening to sounds in the environment, or naming objects in the room.
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Somatic Awareness: Somatic awareness refers to the ability to tune into and be aware of the sensations and experiences happening within one's body. It involves paying attention to bodily sensations, such as heart rate, posture, tension, and other physical cues. Somatic awareness can be helpful in understanding and managing emotional triggers, as well as identifying areas of tension or discomfort in the body.
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a somatic-based therapy approach that combines traditional talk therapy with body-focused interventions. It emphasizes the connection between the mind and body, and aims to help individuals process and resolve traumatic experiences through increasing body awareness, regulating bodily sensations, and promoting embodiment.
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6-step somatic exercise: The 6-step somatic exercise mentioned in the article is a practice designed to help individuals process and release somatic experiences associated with triggers or stressful events. The steps involve noticing bodily sensations, recalling a safe and calm moment, identifying the onset of disturbance or stress, replaying the triggering scenario, tuning into body sensations, and using hands-on techniques to facilitate healing and release tension.
It's important to note that while these techniques can be helpful adjuncts to therapy, they are not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you are experiencing trauma, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, it is recommended to seek the guidance of a qualified mental health professional.
