The next time you feel stressed, try this.

I can’t tell you how many new things I learned in my Somatic Experiencing practitioner training, which is all about restoring resilience to the nervous system and dealing with trauma. 

One key idea is that as much as our nervous system is vulnerable to being dysregulated due to trauma or everyday life conditions, it also holds the key to our own healing.

One way to use the inherent resource that we have in our own nervous system is through a process called orienting, which is using the senses to ground ourselves in the present moment.

Here's how I like to play with this idea:

Sit comfortably.

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

Turn your attention to what you are seeing. Move around and allow your eyes to wander until they naturally land on something that feels pleasing to you. Let your eyes take in the colors, textures, shapes and patterns of what you see.

Notice how what you see is affecting how you feel in your body.

Close your eyes and turn your attention to what you’re hearing.

There’s no need to strain, just let the auditory input land on your eardrum. 

Shift from one input to the other without holding on to any one in particular. 

Notice if focusing your awareness on sounds affects how you feel in your body.

Turn your attention to your sense of touch and notice what is coming in contact with your body. 

Do you feel your clothes touching your skin? 

Do you feel the air coming in contact with any patches of bare skin? 

Do you feel your hands touching anything? Is one part of your body touching a different part? Do you feel your body coming in contact with your chair? 

Your feet coming in contact with the floor? 

How does touching things affect how you feel in your body? 

Notice which one of these 3 senses did you feel was most effective in helping you feel balanced and safe? Remember the answer to this one. 

This is your fast track to your nervous system self-regulation. 

Make a decision to take a 1 minute or more  “time out” to use your preferred sense in the same way you did in this exercise the next time you feel activated.

I’m curious to know what is your go-to sense for nervous system regulation. Mine is definitely hearing :)

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