Get Out of Your Head and Back to Your Body

For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived in my head. My mind is both a powerful tool and a relentless torturer at times. I suffer from anxious thoughts that play on an endless loop at times….worrying about what I did, what I said, what I didn’t do, what I need to do. These thoughts take me away from the present moment and often leave me with undesirable side effects: difficulty sleeping, elevated heart rate, shallow breathing, and an irritable bowel. Through a lot of hard work and therapy, I am more easily able to recognize when my anxiety is elevated but sometimes it gets so bad that I can abandon the strategies that I know will help get my body back to homeostasis. While there are many tools and strategies that can help calm your nervous system and increase present moment awareness, here are 3 strategies that I have found extremely helpful for me, and my hope is that they can help you too.

1. Take 5: Use your Hand to Guide Your Breath. Paying attention to your breathing and being intentional about your breath is one of the most effective ways to get back to your body and calm your nervous system. Hold out your hand. Starting at your outer wrist, gently trace around the outline of your hand. As you move up a finger, slowly inhale, pausing for 3 seconds at the tip of the finger. As you trace down the finger, slowly exhale, again pausing for 3 seconds before moving up the next finger. You can repeat this process as many times as needed and you can do it anywhere! Try it if you’re feeling frustrated at work, standing in line at the grocery store, trying not to yell at your kids….whatever you need!

1. Child’s Pose. It sounds so basic and simple, but I find that this yoga pose really helps release my anxiety and get me out of my head and back into my body. Sit back on your heels, with your knees slightly spread on the floor. Fold over your legs, stretching your arms forward as far as it feels comfortable. You may feel discomfort at first, I know I do, but try to stay in the pose and focus on your breath. I also like to walk my hands over to the left and then to the right to stretch out my side body.

1. Senses Exercise. When our thoughts are on overdrive it can be really easy to get taken away by the narratives or worries that we create. When I notice my thoughts getting out of control and I want to bring myself back to the present moment (in which I am always okay), I do this simple exercise. Focusing on your senses, name 5 things that you can hear, see, smell, touch, even taste. This will help redirect your attention away from your thoughts to present moment awareness.

I hope that these three exercises may provide you with support if you are looking to get out of your head and to present moment awareness through your body. What are other strategies you have tried? Please share on our Instagram post @f_feeling_stuck.