Top 7 'Overwhelm-Offloading' Somatic Wellness Routines to try for Stress Relief - Goh Ling Yong
Have you ever felt like your brain has too many tabs open? You’re juggling work deadlines, family needs, social plans, and that persistent inner critic who keeps a running tally of your to-do list. The pressure builds until it’s not just in your head anymore. It’s a tight band around your chest, a knot in your stomach, or a clenched jaw you only notice at the end of the day. This is the physical manifestation of overwhelm, and it’s a clear signal from your body that it’s time to offload some of that stress.
We often try to "think" our way out of stress. We rationalize, we plan, we worry. But what if the most direct route to relief isn't through your mind, but through your body? This is the core principle of somatic wellness. "Somatic" simply means "relating to the body." Somatic routines are body-based practices designed to help you process and release stored tension, regulate your nervous system, and find a sense of safety and calm from the inside out. They are your personal toolkit for hitting the reset button.
Instead of adding another complicated task to your plate, these seven "overwhelm-offloading" routines are simple, accessible, and can be done in just a few minutes a day. They are invitations to reconnect with the wisdom of your body and gently discharge the built-up energy of modern life. Ready to feel a little lighter? Let's dive in.
1. The Gentle Body Scan: Your Internal Weather Report
A body scan is a foundational mindfulness practice that serves as a gentle check-in with yourself. It’s not about fixing or changing anything; it’s simply about noticing. Think of it as taking an inventory of the physical sensations present in your body at this very moment, without judgment. By systematically moving your attention through your body, you shift your focus from the chaotic narrative in your head to the tangible reality of your physical self.
This simple act of paying attention is incredibly powerful for stress relief. When we're overwhelmed, our minds are often stuck in the past (ruminating) or the future (worrying). The body, however, only exists in the present. Anchoring your awareness in physical sensations—the warmth of your feet, the contact of your back against a chair, the subtle rise and fall of your chest—interrupts the cycle of anxious thoughts and gently guides your nervous system back to a state of equilibrium. It tells your body, "Right here, right now, you are safe."
How to Try It:
- Find a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting in a chair. Close your eyes if that feels right for you.
- Bring your attention to your feet. Notice any sensations without needing to label them good or bad. Is there warmth? Coolness? Tingling? A feeling of pressure against the floor?
- Slowly, like a gentle scanner, move your awareness up through your body: your ankles, calves, knees, thighs. Spend a few breaths on each area, just noticing.
- Continue up through your hips, your stomach, your lower back, chest, and shoulders. Pay special attention to areas where you commonly hold tension. Again, just notice it. Don't try to force it to relax.
- Finally, scan your arms, hands, neck, and face. Unclench your jaw. Soften the space between your eyebrows. Spend 5 to 15 minutes on this practice, and notice how you feel afterward.
2. Grounding with the 5-4-3-2-1 Method
When you feel a wave of anxiety or panic rising, it can feel like you’re being swept away by a current of overwhelming thoughts and emotions. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method is a powerful somatic anchor that pulls you out of that storm and plants you firmly back in the present moment. It works by systematically engaging all five of your senses to notice your immediate environment.
This technique is a lifesaver because it forces a "pattern interrupt" on your brain. The part of your brain responsible for analytical thought (the prefrontal cortex) gets engaged in the task of searching for sights, sounds, and textures, which helps to quiet the overactive emotional center (the amygdala). It’s a practical, in-the-moment tool that tells your nervous system, "The threat is in my thoughts, not in my immediate physical reality." It’s an incredibly effective way to offload acute stress before it escalates.
How to Try It:
Pause wherever you are and gently notice:
- 5 things you can see: Look around and name five objects in your vicinity. Notice their color, shape, and texture. A blue pen, a crack in the ceiling, a green leaf on a plant, the pattern on your rug, a dust bunny in the corner.
- 4 things you can feel: Bring your awareness to physical sensations. The texture of your jeans on your legs, the smooth surface of your desk, the feeling of your feet flat on the floor, a cool breeze from a vent.
- 3 things you can hear: Listen closely and identify three distinct sounds. The hum of your computer, a bird chirping outside, the distant sound of traffic, your own breathing.
- 2 things you can smell: What scents are in the air? The faint smell of coffee, the soap on your hands, the clean scent of laundry. If you can't smell anything, imagine two of your favorite smells.
- 1 thing you can taste: Notice the current taste in your mouth. You can also take a sip of water or pop a mint in your mouth to create a new sensation.
3. Somatic Shaking: Releasing Pent-Up Energy
Have you ever seen a dog shake its whole body after a tense encounter or a moment of excitement? That’s not a random quirk; it’s an instinctual somatic release. Animals shake to discharge the excess adrenaline and cortisol that floods their system during a stress response. As humans, we can consciously use this same technique to release our own stored tension and trauma.
Somatic shaking, also known as therapeutic tremoring, helps to complete the stress cycle. When we experience stress, our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, preparing for action. But in modern life, we rarely get to physically discharge that energy. We just sit with it, letting it build up in our muscles and nervous system. Shaking provides that missing physical release, loosening chronically tight muscles and signaling to your brain that the "danger" has passed and it's safe to relax.
How to Try It:
- Find a private space where you can move freely. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Start by gently bouncing from your knees, letting your arms and shoulders be loose and floppy.
- Begin to intentionally shake your hands as if you're trying to fling water off them. Feel the energy in your wrists and fingers.
- Let the shaking move up into your arms and shoulders. Allow your head to gently bobble. You might feel silly at first—that’s okay! Push through the initial awkwardness.
- Let the shake travel through your whole body. Shake your torso, your hips, your legs. Put on some rhythmic music to help you let go.
- Do this for 3-5 minutes, then stand still and notice the sensations. You might feel a pleasant tingling or a deep sense of calm and release.
4. Conscious Breathing: The Vagus Nerve Vibe-Shift
Breathing is the one function of our autonomic nervous system that we have conscious control over, making it the most direct and accessible tool for stress management. Specifically, slow, deep, diaphragmatic breathing (or "belly breathing") is the key to shifting your body out of a stressed state and into a relaxed one.
This works because of the vagus nerve, the body's superhighway of information that connects the brain to the heart, lungs, and gut. When you take slow, deep breaths where your exhale is longer than your inhale, you stimulate the vagus nerve. This sends a powerful signal to your brain to activate the parasympathetic nervous system—your body's "rest and digest" mode. It lowers your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and tells every cell in your body that it's time to calm down. It’s a physiological off-switch for the stress response.
How to Try It:
- Sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, just below your ribcage.
- Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four. As you inhale, focus on letting your belly expand and rise, pushing your hand up. The hand on your chest should remain relatively still.
- Hold the breath gently for a count of two.
- Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth or nose for a count of six. Feel your belly fall as you release the air. The longer exhale is key to relaxation.
- Repeat this cycle for 2-5 minutes. Focus on the physical sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body. This is a practice I often recommend, following a principle from Goh Ling Yong about finding small, repeatable actions that yield significant results.
5. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): Squeeze and Release
Often, we don’t even realize how much tension we’re holding in our bodies until we feel pain or stiffness. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a practice that teaches you to recognize and release this hidden tension. It involves systematically tensing specific muscle groups and then letting them go, allowing you to deeply experience the difference between tension and relaxation.
By deliberately creating tension, you increase your awareness of what it feels like. Then, when you release that tension, the subsequent relaxation is far deeper and more profound than it would be otherwise. This practice not only provides immediate physical relief but also trains your body and mind over time to become more adept at letting go of stress. It's an active form of relaxation that is particularly helpful for people who find it difficult to simply "sit and be still."
How to Try It:
- Get comfortable in a chair or lying down. Take a few deep breaths to begin.
- Start with your feet. Curl your toes tightly and tense the muscles in your feet for 5-10 seconds. Notice the feeling of tension.
- Release the tension completely and exhale. Notice the feeling of relaxation and warmth that flows into your feet. Linger here for 15-20 seconds.
- Move up to your lower legs. Tense your calf muscles, then release.
- Continue this process, moving methodically up your body: thighs, glutes, abdomen, chest, back, hands (clench into fists), arms, shoulders (shrug them up to your ears), neck, and finally, your face (squint your eyes, furrow your brow).
- After you’ve tensed and released all major muscle groups, take a minute to simply lie still and enjoy the deep state of relaxation you've created.
6. Mindful Movement: A Conversation with Your Body
Unlike traditional exercise that often focuses on goals like reps, speed, or calories burned, mindful or somatic movement is about the internal experience of moving. It’s about tuning in to the sensations of stretching, twisting, and flowing, allowing your body to guide you into the movements it needs most. This could look like slow, intuitive stretching, gentle yoga, or even just swaying to music.
The goal is to move from a place of curiosity, not command. This practice helps to release physical tension stored in the fascia and muscles, but its real power lies in rebuilding trust between your mind and body. In our busy lives, we often treat our bodies like vehicles to carry our brains around. Mindful movement reminds us that our bodies have wisdom. A principle we often discuss on the Goh Ling Yong blog is that listening to your body isn't a luxury; it's a necessity for sustainable well-being. This practice is a perfect embodiment of that idea.
How to Try It:
- Find a quiet space and put on some calming instrumental music.
- Start by standing or sitting, and just begin to move in any way that feels good. There is no right or wrong.
- Maybe you start by slowly rolling your neck and shoulders. Where do you feel stiffness? Breathe into that area.
- Try a gentle spinal twist, feeling the stretch along your back.
- Reach your arms up to the ceiling, then slowly fold forward, letting your head hang heavy.
- Let your body lead. Does it want to rock back and forth? Sway from side to side? Do a gentle cat-cow stretch on all fours? Follow its cues for 5-10 minutes, focusing purely on the physical sensations.
7. The Self-Hold: Creating a Sense of Safety
Human beings are wired for connection and co-regulation, meaning our nervous systems calm down in the presence of a safe and soothing other. But we can also offer this sense of safety to ourselves through gentle, supportive touch. A "self-hold," sometimes called a "self-hug" or "havening touch," uses the power of touch to activate the body's calming response.
Placing a hand over your heart or gently cradling your face stimulates pressure receptors under your skin, which in turn activates the vagus nerve and prompts the release of oxytocin, the "bonding hormone." This simple physical act sends a powerful non-verbal message to your nervous system: "You are held. You are safe. You are cared for." It’s an immediate and incredibly nurturing way to self-soothe during moments of distress or overwhelm.
How to Try It:
- The Heart Hold: Place one hand over the center of your chest, on your heart space. If it feels right, place the other hand on top of it. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and notice the gentle pressure and warmth from your hands. Feel the rise and fall of your chest beneath your palm.
- The Face Cradle: Gently cup your face in your hands, with your palms resting on your cheeks and your fingertips on your temples. Let the weight of your head rest in your hands. This can be profoundly calming.
- The Arm Cross: Cross your arms over your chest and gently stroke your upper arms or shoulders, moving from the shoulder down to the elbow. Do this slowly and rhythmically. This is a core technique in Havening, a psychosensory therapy designed to reduce stress.
Your Body Is Your Ally
The journey to managing overwhelm doesn't have to be another battle waged in your mind. By turning your attention inward and engaging with the physical wisdom of your body, you can access a profound source of calm and resilience.
These seven somatic routines are not just techniques; they are invitations to build a more compassionate and communicative relationship with yourself. You don't need to master them all. Start with the one that feels most inviting or accessible to you right now. Try a 5-minute body scan before bed or a quick 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise when you feel your stress levels rising at work. The key is small, consistent acts of self-care that remind your nervous system it is safe to stand down.
Your body is constantly sending you signals. Learning to listen and respond with these simple, effective practices is one of the most powerful things you can do for your overall health and well-being.
Which of these "overwhelm-offloading" routines are you most curious to try? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you
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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