How to regulate overwhelming feelings: Therapist suggests a somatic practice

From being in contact with a surface to using slow movement, here are a few ways to regulate overwhelming feelings.

Sometimes we can feel extremely overwhelmed. This can happen due to certain triggers, or behavior patterns or situations. No matter what, it is important to regulate our emotions in such scenarios to save ourselves from getting into overthinking spirals or chronic anxiety. "A gentle and effective tool to support your system when things feel too much! The work stress piling up while you’re at your desk. The kids screaming in the back of the car while driving in traffic. The head cold that’s kicking your butt while you recover on the couch. The anxiety rolling in after debating holiday plans with your family. Pause, notice a surface. External contact and surfaces outside of our body can offer a powerful regulatory experience as it invites us to orient to something outside of the current overwhelm. When we pair that surface with physical contact to our body, it offers a safe and supportive anchor to often allow our system to soften, even if for only a moment," wrote Therapist Alexis Florentina Borja. The expert further suggested a somatic practice that can make us feel better.

How to regulate overwhelming feelings: Therapist suggests a somatic practice(Unsplash)

We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join

Find contact: It is important that we feel that we are in contact with the surface. Can be the floor, or a chair or a wall. We should make the body have contact with a certain surface

Notice the contact: The next step is to notice the minute detailing in the surface of the contact. Be it the texture or the way it feels on the skin – we should understand the body parts that are in contact with that surface.

Keep awareness: We should focus completely on the contact of the surface. If the surface permits, we should lean a bit more and make more contact.

Movement and temperature: We can try a few variations of this somatic practice. We should use slow movement of the body to regulate our emotions. We can also use hot and cold temperatures to feel more regulated.