Top 16 Somatic Habits to Try for Releasing Deep-Seated Stress From Your Body
Ever feel like stress isn't just in your head, but literally stuck in your body? That nagging tension in your shoulders, the knot in your stomach, or that inexplicable feeling of being on high alert—these aren't just figments of your imagination. They are physical manifestations of stress, trauma, and unresolved emotions stored deep within your tissues.
For decades, we've been taught to "think" our way out of problems. While cognitive approaches like talk therapy are incredibly valuable, they sometimes miss a crucial piece of the puzzle: the body. Our bodies have a memory of their own. Every experience, good or bad, leaves an imprint on our nervous system. When we experience stress or trauma and can't fully process it, that energy gets trapped, leading to chronic tension, anxiety, and even physical pain.
This is where somatic habits come in. "Soma" is the Greek word for "body," and somatic practices are body-centered techniques designed to help you connect with your physical self and release this stored tension. It's about learning to listen to your body's language and giving it what it needs to return to a state of balance and safety. By incorporating these simple habits into your daily life, you can gently unwind deep-seated stress and reclaim your sense of well-being from the inside out.
1. The Body Scan Meditation
The Body Scan is a foundational mindfulness practice that trains you to bring non-judgmental awareness to your physical sensations. Instead of getting lost in thought, you systematically guide your attention through different parts of your body, simply noticing what’s there—warmth, tingling, tightness, or nothing at all.
This practice is powerful because it bridges the gap between mind and body. It helps you become more attuned to your body's subtle signals before they escalate into overwhelming symptoms. Regularly scanning your body builds interoception—the ability to sense your internal state—which is crucial for emotional regulation and stress management.
How to Try It: Lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Starting with the toes of your left foot, bring your full attention to that area. Notice any sensations without trying to change them. Slowly, move your awareness up your leg, through your torso, down your arms, and to the top of your head. The goal isn't to feel relaxed, but simply to feel.
2. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing)
Diaphragmatic Breathing is one of the fastest ways to signal safety to your nervous system. Many of us, especially when stressed, are "chest breathers," taking shallow, rapid breaths that activate our fight-or-flight response. Belly breathing engages the diaphragm, a large muscle at the base of the lungs, which stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the parasympathetic nervous system—our "rest and digest" state.
This simple shift in breathing can lower your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and calm a racing mind in minutes. It’s a tool you can use anytime, anywhere, to anchor yourself in the present moment and interrupt the cycle of stress.
How to Try It: Sit or lie down. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four, allowing your belly to expand and push your hand up (your chest should remain relatively still). Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six, feeling your belly fall. Repeat for 2-5 minutes.
3. Shaking and Tremoring
Have you ever seen a dog shake its whole body after a tense encounter? This is a natural, instinctual way animals release stress energy. Humans have this same mechanism, but we often suppress it. Therapeutic Shaking or Tremoring (popularized by practices like TRE®) involves intentionally activating these natural tremors to discharge stored tension and trauma from the body.
It might feel strange at first, but allowing your body to shake can be an incredibly potent release. It helps to complete the stress response cycle, releasing the pent-up adrenaline and cortisol that would otherwise remain trapped in your muscles and nervous system.
How to Try It: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Begin to gently bounce from your knees, letting your arms and shoulders hang loosely. Allow any shaking or vibration to move through your body without judgment. You can also play some upbeat music and just let your body move and shake freely for a few minutes.
4. Grounding Through Your Senses
Grounding is the practice of anchoring your awareness in the present moment by connecting with the physical world around you. When you’re caught in a spiral of anxious thoughts, your energy is in your head. Grounding brings that energy back down into your body and into the here and now, which communicates safety to your nervous system.
One of the most effective grounding techniques is the "5-4-3-2-1" method. It forces you to stop thinking and start noticing, pulling you out of future worries or past regrets and planting you firmly in the reality of the present.
How to Try It: Wherever you are, pause and name:
- 5 things you can see (a pen, a crack in the ceiling, a leaf on a tree).
- 4 things you can feel (the texture of your pants, the floor under your feet, the cool air on your skin).
- 3 things you can hear (the hum of a computer, a distant bird, your own breathing).
- 2 things you can smell (coffee, soap, fresh air).
- 1 thing you can taste (the lingering taste of toothpaste, or take a sip of water).
5. Mindful Stretching
This isn't about achieving the perfect yoga pose or forcing your body into a pretzel. Mindful Stretching is about moving slowly and paying close attention to the sensations of release in your muscles and connective tissues. It’s a conversation with your body, not a command.
When you stretch with awareness, you’re not just increasing flexibility; you’re releasing physical patterns of holding. The tightness in your hips or shoulders is often linked to emotional stress. By breathing into these areas and gently encouraging them to open, you can facilitate both a physical and an emotional release.
How to Try It: Choose a simple stretch, like a forward fold or a cat-cow pose. Move into the stretch very slowly, only going as far as feels comfortable. Once you feel a gentle pull, stop and breathe deeply into that area for 30-60 seconds. Notice the sensations. Are they sharp, dull, warm? Just observe without judgment.
6. Vocal Toning and Humming
Your voice is a powerful tool for regulating your nervous system. The vibrations created by Humming, Chanting, or Vocal Toning directly stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs up the sides of your neck. Activating this nerve helps shift you out of a stressed state and into a calm, centered one.
This is why sighing feels so good—it's a form of vocal release. You don't need to be a singer to benefit. The simple act of creating a low, resonant sound can have an immediate soothing effect on your entire system. It's a self-soothing technique that's always available to you.
How to Try It: Sit comfortably and take a deep breath in. As you exhale, make a low "voooooo" or "hmmmmmm" sound. Try to feel the vibration in your chest and throat. Experiment with different pitches to see what feels most resonant and calming for your body. Do this for a few minutes.
7. Self-Havening Touch
Self-Havening is a therapeutic technique that uses comforting, gentle touch to create a sense of safety and calm. The simple act of stroking your arms, face, or hands triggers the release of feel-good neurochemicals like oxytocin and serotonin, while reducing stress hormones like cortisol.
This practice is based on the idea that nurturing touch is a fundamental human need for co-regulation. When we can provide this for ourselves, we build a powerful internal resource for managing stress and anxiety. As my mentor, Goh Ling Yong, often says, "Simple, consistent acts of self-care are the foundation of resilience."
How to Try It: Gently stroke your arms from your shoulders down to your elbows, as if you were giving yourself a hug. Or, gently cup your face in your hands. You can also place one hand over your heart. Do this slowly and mindfully for a minute or two, focusing on the sensation of warmth and gentle pressure.
8. Intuitive Movement
So much of our movement is structured and goal-oriented—walking to get somewhere, exercising to burn calories. Intuitive Movement is the opposite. It’s about letting your body lead the way, moving in whatever way feels good, interesting, or necessary in the moment, without any agenda or judgment.
This could look like dancing wildly in your living room, swaying gently, or simply rocking back and forth. By allowing your body to move freely, you can unlock and release stagnant energy and emotions that have been held in your tissues. It’s a way of letting your body tell its story.
How to Try It: Put on a piece of music (or enjoy the silence). Close your eyes and start to notice any impulse to move. Maybe your fingers want to wiggle, or your hips want to sway. Follow that impulse. Let the movement be organic and unstructured. There’s no right or wrong way to do it.
9. Orienting to Your Environment
Orienting is the first job of our nervous system. It’s the act of scanning our environment to determine if we are safe. When we’re stressed or anxious, our focus tends to narrow, and we can get stuck in "tunnel vision." Deliberately orienting breaks this pattern.
By slowly looking around your space and noticing neutral objects, you send a powerful message to your brainstem and amygdala: "Right here, right now, I am safe. There is no immediate threat." This can quickly de-escalate a stress response and bring you back to a more regulated state.
How to Try It: Let your head and eyes slowly scan the room. Don't just glance; really allow your eyes to land on different objects. Notice shapes, colors, and textures. Let your head turn naturally. Take your time. Notice what it feels like in your body as you confirm that you are in a safe place.
10. Pendulation
Developed as part of Somatic Experiencing®, Pendulation is the practice of gently shifting your attention between a sensation of stress or discomfort in your body and a place in your body that feels neutral, calm, or pleasant.
This process helps your nervous system learn that it can experience a difficult sensation without being completely overwhelmed by it. It builds your capacity to tolerate distress by reminding you that there is also ease and safety available within you. It’s like dipping your toe in the cold water and then bringing it back to the warm sand, gradually increasing your tolerance.
How to Try It: First, find a place in your body that feels relatively calm or neutral (your hands, your left foot, your earlobe). Then, briefly bring your awareness to a place of mild tension (e.g., your tight shoulders). Hold your attention there for just a few seconds, then intentionally shift it back to the neutral, calm spot. Go back and forth a few times, always ending on the feeling of calm.
11. Conscious Yawning and Sighing
We often stifle yawns in meetings or suppress sighs to avoid being rude, but these are two of our body's most simple and effective self-regulating tools. A Yawn stretches the muscles of the jaw and throat, releases tension, and brings a cooling rush of oxygen to the brain. A deep Sigh is a powerful way to release physical and emotional tension on the exhale.
By consciously allowing—and even encouraging—these natural releases, you are working with your body’s innate wisdom rather than against it. It's a micro-habit that can provide instant relief throughout your day.
How to Try It: You can actually trigger a yawn. Try opening your mouth wide, as if you're about to yawn, and see what happens. For sighing, take a deep breath in, and on the exhale, let out an audible sigh of relief. Don't hold back; let the sound come out.
12. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
PMR is a classic technique that involves systematically tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups throughout your body. The deep relaxation you feel after releasing the tension is more profound than what you'd experience otherwise.
This practice is excellent for people who have trouble "just relaxing" because it gives you an active task to do. It also highlights the contrast between tension and relaxation, making you more aware of where you hold stress in your body and giving you a clear method for letting it go.
How to Try It: Lying down, start with your feet. Tense the muscles in your feet and toes, squeezing tightly for 5-10 seconds. Then, abruptly release the tension and notice the feeling of relaxation for 20-30 seconds. Work your way up your body: calves, thighs, glutes, abdomen, arms, shoulders, face, etc.
13. Mindful Eating
So much of our eating is rushed, distracted, and unconscious. Mindful Eating turns a meal into a somatic practice by engaging all of your senses. It’s about paying full attention to the colors, smells, textures, and tastes of your food, as well as your body's signals of hunger and fullness.
This practice not only improves digestion but also serves as a powerful grounding exercise. By focusing entirely on the sensory experience of nourishment, you calm your nervous system and cultivate a deeper appreciation and connection with your body.
How to Try It: Take the first three bites of your next meal with complete mindfulness. Before the first bite, look at your food. Smell it. Then, take a bite and chew slowly, noticing all the flavors. Put your fork down between bites. Notice the sensations in your mouth and stomach.
14. Cold Exposure
While it might sound intense, brief exposure to cold—like a 30-second blast at the end of your shower or splashing your face with cold water—can have a powerful regulating effect on the nervous system. This is another way to tone the vagus nerve.
The initial shock of the cold triggers a fight-or-flight response, but by consciously breathing through it, you teach your nervous system to recover from stress more efficiently. Over time, this can build resilience and improve your ability to handle life's other stressors.
How to Try It: Start small. At the end of your next shower, turn the water to cold for just 15-30 seconds. Focus on taking long, slow exhales. Another option is to fill a bowl with cold water and immerse your face in it for 15 seconds. This triggers the "mammalian dive reflex," which instantly slows your heart rate.
15. Finding Your "Yes" and "No" in the Body
Our bodies often know the answer long before our minds do. Learning to feel your somatic "yes" and "no" is a profound way to build self-trust and set better boundaries. A "yes" might feel like an opening, a leaning forward, a sense of lightness in the chest. A "no" might feel like a tightening, a pulling back, a knot in the stomach.
By pausing and checking in with your body before making decisions—from what to eat for lunch to whether to take on a new project—you can start living in greater alignment with your true needs and desires.
How to Try It: Think of something you know you genuinely want (like a hug from a loved one or your favorite food). Close your eyes and notice the physical sensations in your body. This is your "yes." Now, think of something you definitely don't want. Notice the sensations that arise. This is your "no." Practice checking in with these feelings when faced with small, daily choices.
16. Creating a Somatic Resource
A Somatic Resource is an internal feeling of safety, calm, or well-being that you can intentionally call upon during times of stress. It’s like creating a "safe place" inside your own body. This could be the memory of a beautiful place in nature, the feeling of a beloved pet in your lap, or the imagined sensation of warm sunlight on your skin.
Practicing this when you are already calm builds the neural pathways that make it easier to access when you’re feeling activated. As I've learned from my work with Goh Ling Yong and others, having a reliable internal anchor is one of the most powerful skills for nervous system regulation.
How to Try It: Close your eyes and think of a person, place, or memory that brings you a genuine feeling of peace or joy. Don't just think about it; really try to feel it in your body. Where do you feel the pleasant sensation? Maybe it’s a warmth in your chest or a feeling of groundedness in your legs. Spend a few minutes savoring this feeling.
Your Body Is Your Ally
The journey of releasing deep-seated stress is not about fighting your body or forcing it to relax. It’s about befriending it. It’s about learning to listen to its wisdom, honor its signals, and provide the care it needs to feel safe and at ease.
This list might seem long, but you don't need to do everything at once. The invitation is to choose just one or two habits that resonate with you. Maybe it's starting your day with three deep belly breaths or shaking out your stress for one minute in the afternoon. Small, consistent practices are far more powerful than grand, infrequent gestures.
Start today. Pick one somatic habit and give it a try. Notice how it feels. Your body has been waiting to be heard. All you have to do is start listening.
What habit are you curious to try first? Share your choice in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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