How can I reconnect with my body after Trauma?

How can I reconnect with my body after trauma?

So trauma is a response.

It's how we react to a shocking or distressing event in our outside world or in relationships.

After trauma, our body's communication systems from the central nervous system become dysregulated.

Our body has a natural defence mechanism of shutting down psychologically to protect us, which people often describe as feeling numb or in shock.

We have a somatic memory.

This is what our body uses to store and recall past experiences, which usually involve strong emotions of distress.

Often PTSD symptoms involve smelling, seeing, hearing, and feeling the things felt at the time of the traumatic event.

Our body can become a place of tension, or we can feel disconnected with it altogether.

So reconnecting to the body is so important after trauma, and this can be done in a number of ways.

Somatic methods can instantly regulate, ground, soothe, stimulate, or strengthen the body-mind connection.

Here's one of each to get you started.

So number one, an instant regulator to help you when you're in a moment of stress, overwhelm, or emotional intensity.

So try straw breathing.

So you're taking in a deep breath into your belly, pursing your lips as if you were drinking, and slowly breathing out.

The outbreath takes ages, and you only have to do this once or twice, and your heart weight will reduce quite quickly.

Number two, grounding to help you stay present and connected to your body.

You can try holding and carrying with you an anchor object.

So this is an object that reminds you of home, anything like that, family.

Keep it in your pocket, and when you feel unsafe, touch and hold the object and follow with an affirmation such as all is well, I am safe.

So number three, soothing.

To calm your nervous system, try humming.

Humming stimulates our vagus nerve, helping us to regulate.

So you can do this by taking a nice deep breath in, and as you're breathing out, hum at the same time at a steady pace, without a break, until you have no air left in your lungs.

A couple of times should do the trick.

Number four, stimulating for when you're feeling numb.

Try some cold water therapy.

Run a very cold tap and put your wrists under it or hold an ice cube.

This helps you to focus and energize when you're feeling fatigued.

A good strengthening exercise can help you feel your own physical power whilst you may be feeling emotionally powerless.

This is called the push against the wall technique.

So put one foot in front of the other, your hands against the wall, feel your back foot push in the ground and the strength rising up over your legs, through your core, over your back and down your shoulders.

Start with 5% effort and slowly increase.

Hold for 20 seconds, release and just notice the sensations.

So I hope that you find these exercises useful.

You can find many other resources online if you search for somatic exercises, vagus nerve hacks, and breath work is also a very good area to look into for regulating your central nervous system.

So please do look after yourself, and if you are struggling in the moment, do not hesitate to reach out to NHS 111 option 2 or also the Samaritans on 116123.

Look after yourself.