How Body Based Practices Can Interrupt Anxious Thoughts
You might be able to imagine what it feels like as an anxious stream of thoughts loops around in your head. Maybe your chest feels tight, your breath gets shallow, and suddenly the room feels a few degrees warmer. You may think “It’s just anxiety- I don’t need to worry about this” yet, the cycle continues. What if the key to stopping the loop isn’t more thinking—but more feeling?
When we think about anxiety, we often focus on the mind: intrusive thoughts and worst-case scenario montages playing out like movie scenes. However, anxiety doesn’t live only in the head. It’s also an experience of your entire body—tight muscles, a pounding heart, clenched jaws, and disconnection from the present moment.
That’s where somatic, or body based, practices come in. Anxiety is an adaptive tool we develop to help assess potential future threats so that we can anticipate them in order to keep ourselves safe. These somatic tools are powerful ways to help interrupt the anxious thought loop by calming the nervous system and bringing us back to a feeling of safety when we truly are safe.
What Is the Anxious Thought Loop?
Anxiety often follows a loop that begins with a trigger followed by an anxious thought, then a physical reaction which begets more anxious thoughts until the cycle continues. For example, a stressful email might trigger the thought “I’m going to mess everything up,” which causes your body to tense. That physical reaction signals danger to your brain, leading to more spiraling thoughts.
Believe me, I know this cycle can be exhausting. However, knowing that anxiety is both mental and physical helps us open more pathways to feeling safe.
What Are Somatic Practices?
“Somatic” means relating to the body. Somatic practices help you tune into your physical sensations and to help your body return to a calm, grounded state. They can begin by asking ourselves questions like:
Where am I holding tension?
What sensations am I noticing?
Can I soften, breathe, or move in response?
How Somatic Practices Break the Cycle
Here are several somatic techniques that help disrupt anxious thought loops:
1. Grounding with Attention to the Senses
Bring your attention to the soles of your feet, the contact between your body and the chair, or the temperature of the air on your skin. Notice how your five senses are making contact with the environment.
Bringing your entire body’s awareness to the present moment tells the brain: “We’re here. We’re safe.”
2. Breathwork for Regulation
Shallow breathing is a hallmark of the body’s anxiety response. When we intentionally slow the breath, we send a signal of safety to the nervous system. Try to Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8. And Repeat. After a few cycles of breath, scan your body from head to toe and notice any shifts in your sensations. Is there more space in your chest? Do you feel coolness or warmth anywhere?
3. Movement and Shaking
When our brain senses danger, it sends signals to our body to access energy stores in order to escape from the perceived threat. Therefore, anxiety can manifest as energy trapped in the body. Movement—especially shaking, stretching, or bouncing—helps discharge this energy and regulate the nervous system.
4. Orienting to Your Environment
Look around the room. Notice colors, shapes, light, and textures. This somatic practice—called orienting—helps remind your brain and body that you are in a safe space. Try to find 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.
Why This Matters
These practices aren’t just “tricks” or quick “hacks” to manipulate yourself out of your emotions. They are soothing practices to remind our body that we are safe in the moment. From that calm, regulated state, we are able to better process whatever might be coming up for us. The more we practice somatic awareness, the more we notice the early signs of anxiety—and the more tools we have to meet it gently and effectively.
References:
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/how-we-misunderstand-anxiety-and-miss-out-its-benefits
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-somatic-therapy-202307072951
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/breathing_exercises_0.pdf
