Somatic Grounding Practices
I’m not that good at breathing.
Breathing exercises, that is. On-purpose breathwork.
For the longest time, in meditation practices, or in workshops when a facilitator would ask us to ground ourselves with deep cleansing breaths, I’d feel like I was missing something or just not doing it right.
It wasn’t until a therapist said to me, “You hold your anxiety in your chest, so breathwork isn’t what I’d recommend for you,” that it clicked.
When I’ve had panic attacks in the past, the overwhelming sensation is of not being able to breathe. So it makes sense that focusing on inhaling/exhaling is not super calming for me.
I’ve also heard from neurodivergent folks that focused breathing exercises can be similarly challenging. If you’re a facilitator or coach, try offering different options or simple invite people to do whatever it is that they find calming.
A few alternative ideas to ground you during a stressful workday:
Instead of attempting deep breaths, I like to think about pushing my belly out as hard and far as it will go. Imagine a baby trying to fart.
Some people like progressive muscle relaxation (tensing and then relaxing muscles), but I trend towards tense anyway, so I picture different muscles melting.
While you’re there, have a friendly little chat with your tense muscles: “Hey pal, what are you trying to hold? You can let go for a minute.”
Co-regulation with a trusted partner or friend. I’ll get my husband to scratch my neck or rub my palm (we both work from home, so this is real convenient).
Hard arm shakes – like you’ve just washed your hands in a gas-station bathroom and they’re out of paper towel. Doing this really fast and hard is a great way to dispel adrenaline.
Scents: light a candle with a wooden match, use essential oils, go outside and see what you can smell, stick your face in your cat’s fur (how can they smell like cookies when their breath stinks?).
Self-massage: take a minute to smooth cream on your face, or hand lotion up your forearms, or press into the hinges of your jaw and knees.
Five minutes of auditory grounding: I have a playlist of ocean waves, rainforests and thunderstorms, or I’ll just close my eyes and listen to the birds outside.
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