In short: Somatic exercises are simple ways of working with your body to help your nervous system settle. Instead of trying to think your way out of anxiety, you turn towards what you can feel, like your breath, your feet on the ground or the sensations in your chest, and give your system a chance to come back to the present moment.
When anxiety or stress takes hold, most of us do the same thing. We try to figure it out. We analyse, reassure ourselves, make plans, distract. And often, the harder we try to get rid of the feeling, the louder it gets.
Somatic exercises offer another way. Rather than fighting what’s here, we slow down and meet it in the body, where it actually lives.
I’ve grouped the practices below into four parts:
- Settling and grounding: quick practices for when anxiety is high
- Meeting the feeling: turning towards what’s here with curiosity rather than resistance
- Moving stress through: helping your body release built-up energy
- When you feel numb or shut down: gently coming back to life
You don’t need to do them all. Try one or two, notice what helps, and come back to the ones that feel right.
Part 1: Settling and grounding
These are good places to start, especially when anxiety feels big. They help your nervous system register that you’re here, now, and safe enough.
1. Orienting: let your eyes find the room
When we’re anxious, our attention narrows and gets pulled inward or into the future. Let your eyes slowly move around the space you’re in, and let your head and neck follow. Notice colours, shapes, light and shadow. Let your eyes rest on something that feels pleasant or neutral, and stay there for a few breaths.
2. Come to your senses
Slowly name five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. There’s no rush. The aim is simply to bring your attention out of your head and into the present.
3. Feel what’s holding you up
Anxiety often comes with a sense of bracing, as if we have to hold everything up ourselves. Notice where your body is in contact with something solid: your feet on the floor, your back against the chair, your legs on the seat. Feel the weight of your body being received, and see if any part of you can soften, even slightly.
4. Press your feet into the ground
Whether sitting or standing, slowly press your feet into the floor, as if you’re pushing the ground away. Feel the muscles in your legs engage. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat a few times. This can bring a sense of solidity and strength when you feel shaky or ungrounded.
5. Let the out-breath be a little longer
There’s no need to force a deep breath. Just let your exhale be slightly longer than your inhale. You might breathe in for a count of four and out for six. A longer out-breath supports the part of your nervous system that helps you rest and settle.
6. Hum or sigh
Take a comfortable breath in, then let it out with a long, low hum, or a soft “voo” sound, or an audible sigh. Feel the vibration in your chest and throat. Sound naturally lengthens the out-breath, and many people find the vibration itself soothing.
7. A hand where it’s needed
Place one hand on your chest, your belly, or wherever you feel the most activation. Let the warmth and gentle pressure of your hand simply be there. Supportive touch is one of the oldest ways our nervous systems learn they’re not alone, and your own hand can offer some of that too.
8. Self-holds
Rest one hand on your forehead and the other on your chest. Stay for a few breaths, noticing any sense of settling or connection between the two places. Then you might move the hand from your forehead to your belly. Another option is to tuck one hand under the opposite armpit and rest the other hand over your upper arm, as if you’re holding yourself. These holds can bring a feeling of containment when emotions feel like they’re spilling everywhere.
9. Give yourself a hug
Wrap your arms around yourself, hands resting on your upper arms or shoulders. Gently squeeze, or slowly tap left and right. You might rock a little. It may feel awkward at first, but the body often responds to this kind of comfort, even when it comes from ourselves.
Part 2: Meeting the feeling
Once you feel a little more settled, these practices invite you to turn towards the feeling itself. This is where I find the deepest shifts often happen: not when we escape a feeling, but when we finally let ourselves meet it.
10. Drop the story and feel the sensation
When anxiety is here, notice that two things are happening. There’s the story: what if this goes wrong, why do I always feel like this, something is wrong with me. And there’s the raw feeling in the body underneath it.
For a moment, set the story aside. Even let go of the label “anxiety”. Then get curious about what’s actually here. Where is it in your body? Is it tight, buzzing, hot, heavy, fluttery, hollow? Does it have a shape or edges? Is it moving or still?
Often, when we feel the sensation directly without the story feeding it, it turns out to be more bearable than we expected. It may shift, soften or move on its own.
11. Let it be here, all the way
So much of our suffering comes not from the feeling itself, but from our resistance to it: the tightening against it, the wish for it to go away.
Try saying to the feeling, silently: “You’re allowed to be here.” Or simply: “Yes.” Not because you like it, but because it’s already here. See what happens when you stop pushing it away, even for a few breaths. Sometimes what was frozen begins to move once it’s finally welcomed.
If this feels like too much, come back to Part 1. Allowing is something we grow into, not something to force. I’ve written more about this in What Am I Unwilling to Feel?
12. Ask the feeling what it needs
With a hand resting on the place where you feel it most, gently ask the feeling: “What do you need?” or “What are you protecting me from?” Then wait. Don’t go looking for an answer with your thinking mind. Just listen. An image, a word, a memory or a small movement might come. Or nothing at all, and that’s okay too. The asking itself is a way of offering care to a part of you that may have been holding on for a long time.
13. Notice what’s aware of the feeling
While the feeling is here, gently notice that something is aware of it. The anxiety is happening, and you are the one noticing it. The feeling comes and goes, but the noticing is still here.
You don’t need to understand this or get it right. Just rest for a moment as the space the feeling is moving through. Many people find there’s a quiet steadiness there that the anxiety can’t touch.
14. Move between hard and easy
Find a place in your body that feels okay, or even pleasant. It might be your hands, your feet or your earlobes. Spend a few breaths there. Then gently visit the place that feels anxious, just briefly. Then return to the place that feels okay. Moving back and forth like this helps your system learn it can touch difficult feelings without being swallowed by them.
Part 3: Moving stress through
Stress gives the body energy to fight or run. When that energy has nowhere to go, it can stay stuck as restlessness, tension or a sense of being wired. These practices help it move.
15. Shake it out
Gently shake out your hands, then your arms. Bounce lightly on your heels and let the movement travel up through your body. Animals shake after a stressful moment, and our bodies know how to do this too. Follow what feels good, and stop when you feel a natural settling.
16. Push against a wall
Stand facing a wall and place both palms flat against it. Slowly push, as if you’re trying to move the wall. Feel your arms, back and legs engage. Notice any feelings that come with pushing, like strength, anger or a sense of “no”. Then release and notice how your body feels. This can be especially helpful if you tend to freeze or struggle to set boundaries.
17. Soften your jaw, neck and shoulders
We often hold stress in the same places. Let your jaw drop slightly and your tongue rest. Slowly roll your shoulders, then gently let your head tilt from side to side. Move slowly enough that you can feel each small release. You might even yawn, which is often a sign your nervous system is settling.
18. Walk slowly
Walk much more slowly than usual, inside or outside. Feel your heel touch the ground, then the rest of your foot, then the lift. Let your arms swing naturally. If you can, walk barefoot on grass or sand. Rhythmic movement like walking can help an anxious system find its way back to steadiness.
Part 4: When you feel numb or shut down
Not all stress looks like anxiety. Sometimes the nervous system goes the other way, into numbness, fog, heaviness or feeling far away. In these moments, calming practices aren’t what’s needed. Instead, the body needs gentle invitations to come back.
19. Wake up your edges
Gently tap or brush your hands over your arms, shoulders, legs and the top of your head. Feel where your skin meets the air. This helps you sense the edges of your body and can bring you back into it when you feel disconnected.
20. Small movements and warmth
Wriggle your fingers and toes. Stretch slowly, the way you might when waking up. Wrap yourself in a blanket or hold a warm cup of tea and notice the warmth in your hands. Start small. The aim is simply to let your system know it’s safe to come back, a little at a time.
A simple five-minute daily practice
Doing a few minutes each day, even when you feel okay, helps your nervous system build capacity over time. You might try this:
- One minute: orient to the room and feel what’s holding you up.
- One minute: a hand on your chest or belly, with a few longer out-breaths or a gentle hum.
- Two minutes: notice whatever sensations are here, without the story, and let them be.
- One minute: a gentle shake, stretch or movement, then pause and notice how you feel.
Signs your nervous system is settling
As you practise, you might notice some of these. They’re all good signs:
- A spontaneous deep breath, sigh or yawn
- Your stomach gurgling
- Warmth spreading through your hands, chest or belly
- Your shoulders dropping or your jaw softening
- Tears, or a gentle trembling that passes
- Feeling more present, or simply a little more like yourself
A few gentle guidelines
- Go slowly. Small and slow is often more effective than big and fast.
- Stay curious, not goal oriented. The aim isn’t to make anxiety disappear, but to be with yourself differently.
- Stop if it feels like too much. If you feel flooded, dizzy or far away, open your eyes, orient to the room and feel your feet. You can always come back another time.
- Some things need company. Feelings connected to trauma are often best explored with someone beside you, rather than alone.
Common questions about somatic exercises
How quickly do somatic exercises work?
Some practices, like orienting or a longer out-breath, can bring a sense of settling within a minute or two. Over weeks of regular practice, many people find their nervous system becomes less reactive overall.
How often should I do them?
A few minutes a day is a lovely place to start. Practising when you’re already fairly calm makes it much easier to reach for these tools when you really need them.
Can somatic exercises help with panic attacks?
They can help. During a panic attack, focus on the simplest practices: feel your feet, orient to the room, and let your out-breath be long and slow. Remind yourself that panic always passes. If you ever have chest pain or symptoms you’re unsure about, please seek medical help.
What if focusing on my body makes my anxiety worse?
That’s common, especially if your body hasn’t felt like a safe place. Start with practices that point your attention outward, like orienting or coming to your senses, or towards places that feel neutral or pleasant. Go at your own pace. A somatic therapist can help you build that sense of safety gradually.
Are somatic exercises the same as somatic therapy?
Not quite. Exercises like these can be a lovely support in daily life. Somatic therapy goes deeper, working with the patterns underneath anxiety within a safe, attuned relationship. You can read more in What Is Somatic Therapy? How It Works and Who It Helps.
When you’d like more support
These practices can help in the moment, and over time they can change your relationship with anxiety. If you find yourself overwhelmed often, or the same patterns keep returning, it might be time for support that goes deeper. You might also find You’re Not Too Much, You’re Under-Resourced and Anxious Attachment: Why Understanding It Isn’t Enough helpful.
I offer Hakomi-informed somatic therapy in person between Byron Bay and Mullumbimby, and online across Australia. You can see sessions and pricing, or book a free discovery call to see if it feels right for you.
If you’re in crisis or need support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.