Last blog addressed what triggers are and where they come from. This blog is going to dive a bit deeper into how to support yourself when you are experiencing a trigger or stressful event, and are needing skills for relief.
As we mentioned last week, one of the ways to work with triggers is to ground yourself, and orient to the room around you. This week we are practicing orienting yourself to your body so you can support yourself when triggered. Next, I will give you 6 steps for you to practice for relief.
How to orient you to your body:
What does your posture feel like? are you slumped, rigid, or have a flexibility to your stance?
What's your natural heart rate? Quick, slow?
Where do you carry tension? does it present as a knot in your stomach, neck/back pain, a headache, a tingling in your fingers or twitching of your eye?
What external or internal elements offer a sense of calm? A favorite sweater, drink, place (beach, sofa), or experience with a loved one?
What external stimuli often trigger you? loud sounds, dark at night, social interactions?
Begin asking yourself these questions to increase your somatic, mind-body awareness.
When you're healing from anxiety, trauma or are experiencing emotional triggers, it can be difficult to feel like your body is supporting you.
However, an important element in healing and getting stronger is inviting your body to help you, to be aresource.
As Babette Rothschild, Trauma Specialist, suggests learning to engage with your body as a DIARY. Begin taking "notes" from what your body is expressing bytuning inward.
Rothschild writes in her book, The Body Remembers,
"It is through sensory storage and messaging that the body communicates. It holds many keys that help in identifying, accessing and resolving traumatic experiences" (Rothschild, 2000).
According to Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, a somatic, body-focused therapy, everything we experience and all the sensations felt on and in the body are forms of communication needing to be expressed.
Think of your triggers as a google translate to knowing what is happening on the inside.
book a somatic session
In order to offer relief, we want to notice what is happening, and then process and release the experience on a mind and body level (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Ogden, Minton & Pain, 2006).
Next time you feel triggered, practice this 6 step somatic exercise to help you process through the experience and experience relief. Practicing this may also help you identify the stimuli that contributed to the change in "homeostasis" so that you can have awareness for the future.
A 6-step somatic exercise:
1.Notice.
Inhale and exhale. Notice what you feel on,in and aroundyour body. Speed of breath, heart rate and body temperature.
2.Think back to safety.
Think back to at a recent moment you felt most calm, safe and most like your “self”.
3. Identify.
Identify at what point in time and/or which part of your body began experiencing disturbance or stress.
4.Replay.
Replay the scenario from calm state to stressed state, in slow motion (as if watching a slow movie). Identify people, conversations, objects or behaviors that may have made you stressed, uncomfortable or that stand out to you as you're replaying the recent event(s).
5. Tune in.
Tune in to your body sensations as you recall the event(s) and slow down and notice if there is any shift in your body, a sensation of tingling, tensing, warming, numbing or cooling in your chest, arms, legs, face or an overall change in body temperature.
6.Healing hands.
Place your hand on the area that has experienced a shift or change, and breath deeply. If it's an overall feeling, you can simply place your hands on your heart.
Doing this allows the body to process the somatic experience, and creates a passageway to release the tension.
Notice if something comes up, an image, sensation, awareness or understanding that offers clarity to the situation. If nothing comes up, that's ok. Simply slowing down, pacing your breath and raising awareness is progress and helpful in itself.
I encourage you to practice this after an upsetting experience, to allow your body to process the emotions and communications of your body. You may also choose to practice this before a stressful situation so that you can identify potential triggers and plan ahead ways to support yourself.
book a somatic session
As you go about your day, I encourage you to tune in to you body.
***
It is important to note that this exercise is not in place of trauma therapy, rather it is a skill you can practice on your own adjunctive to good therapy work. If you are in therapy and notice something new while doing this exercise,jot it down and bring it to your therapist for deeper and continued work. if you are not in therapy and realize that a lot has come up for you, I encourage you to begin your healing today.
Counseling can help you release the tension and somatic stress carried on your body.
If you have been experiencing tension, anxiety, or trauma symptoms that express themselves in the body, due to something from the past, or specific to something that’s come up,I encourage you to reach out to a therapist today.
Do you live in New York and want to begin the deeper work with a therapist?
Now offering virtual and in person therapy for clients living in Long Island and across New York State, and are available to help you!
Therapies we offer In Long Island And New York
At our practice, we offer EMDR therapy, Somatic therapy, Attachment-Informed methods, Cognitive therapy, Internal Family Systems/Parts work and Expressive methods to help you experience relief.
Schedule your free 15 minute consultation by clicking here- to help you begin healing today!
And…get your some FREE downloadable worksheets and downloads… to deepen your somatic “Felt Sense” and engage in some mindfulness activities..and more. Click here for access to FREE content made with you in mind!
Book a consult
**Are you a Therapist?
Join our Trauma Therapist Training (yes with CEUS)!
Apply here!
Sources:
Ogden, Minton & Pain (2006) Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)1st Edition
Rothschild, B (2000) the Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment
Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Esther Goldstein
somatic therapy nassau county, trauma expert five towns, anxiety treatment five towns, anxiety specialist long island, anxiety therapy long island, anxiety center five towns, trauma center five towns
Comment
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or emotions, but I can provide you with information related to the concepts mentioned in this article.
The article discusses the topic of triggers and how to support oneself when experiencing a trigger or stressful event. It emphasizes the importance of grounding oneself and orienting to the surroundings, as well as to one's own body. The article suggests a 6-step somatic exercise to help process and release the tension associated with triggers. It also highlights the significance of engaging with the body as a resource for healing and strengthening.
The concepts used in the article include:
-
Triggers: Triggers are events, situations, or stimuli that evoke a strong emotional or psychological response in an individual. They can be related to past traumatic experiences or other sources of stress.
-
Grounding: Grounding techniques are methods used to bring one's attention and focus to the present moment and to the physical environment. Grounding can help reduce anxiety and provide a sense of stability.
-
Somatic awareness: Somatic awareness refers to the ability to notice and understand the sensations and physical experiences happening in one's body. It involves tuning in to bodily sensations and using them as a source of information and communication.
-
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a body-focused therapy approach that recognizes the importance of the mind-body connection in healing trauma and other psychological issues. It emphasizes working with bodily sensations and movement to promote healing and resolution.
-
Somatic exercise: The article suggests a 6-step somatic exercise to help process and release the tension associated with triggers. This exercise involves noticing bodily sensations, recalling a safe and calm moment, identifying the source of disturbance or stress, replaying the triggering scenario, tuning into body sensations, and using healing touch or breath to release tension.
-
Trauma therapy: Trauma therapy is a specialized form of therapy that focuses on addressing the psychological and emotional impact of traumatic experiences. It aims to help individuals process and heal from trauma-related symptoms and improve their overall well-being.
It's important to note that while the article provides some helpful suggestions, it also mentions the importance of seeking professional therapy for trauma-related issues. Therapy can provide deeper and continued work to address the underlying causes of triggers and promote healing.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts discussed in the article. Let me know if you have any further questions!
