Restore your calm with these tension-relief techniques

August 2024

by Vanessa LaFaso Stolarski, Contributing Columnist

When we feel triggered or overwhelmed by stress, thinking out of those intense emotional states can be difficult. Somatic (pertaining to the body) techniques offer a powerful way to regulate our nervous systems and find relief by working directly with the body’s physical sensations. The following techniques can be performed almost anywhere, offering immediate relief to your daily stressors.

PROGRESSING MUSCLE TENSE AND RELEASE

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that helps relieve physical tension and promote relaxation throughout the body. This method helps you become more aware of where you unconsciously hold tension while feeling stressed. It involves systematically tensing and then releasing different muscle groups. Each tension should be held for 5-10 seconds: 

• Get comfortable in a seated or lying position.
• Start by tensing muscles in your feet and lower legs by pointing your toes and tightening your calf muscles.
• Release the tension all at once and focus on the feeling of relaxation in your feet and lower legs.
• Move up to your thighs and buttocks. Tense these by pressing your legs together tightly, then relax the muscles completely.
• Continue the pattern of tension-releasing up your body to your face.
• With each release, make sure you also release your breath in an exhale while sinking into the relaxed sensation.

GROUNDING WITH SENSES

When feeling overwhelmed, the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique can quickly orient you to the present moment through your five senses. This practice anchors you into your immediate surroundings and helps halt catastrophic thinking.

• First, notice five things you can see around you.
• Then, identify four things you can feel or touch.
• Next, notice three things you can hear.
• Then, become aware of two things you can smell.
• Lastly, identify one thing you can taste.

SOOTHING WITH TOUCH

The butterfly hug is a simple, self-soothing technique that can be done anywhere. The bilateral tapping in this movement helps integrate the right and left hemispheres of the brain, while the hug provides a soothing, grounding sensation. 

• Cross your arms over your chest, placing your right hand over your left bicep and your left arm over your right bicep.
• Then, alternate tapping your hands on your upper arms, mimicking the gentle wing movements of a butterfly.
• Perform this exercise until you feel more relaxed.

RESOURCING WITH MOVEMENT

Shaking, twisting, bending and stretching all contribute to discharging stored tension in the body. Movement can shift your physiology out of that tense state into one that is calm. Yoga poses, for instance, are an excellent way to accomplish this, particularly the anti-anxiety pose: 

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Extend your arms out to the side at shoulder height with palms facing up.
• Hold this posture for 30-60 seconds while taking deep breaths.

These somatic techniques directly target the body’s physiological stress response to restore a sense of safety, calm and presence. With practice, they can become valuable tools in your self-care toolkit for stress management.

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Vanessa LaFaso Stolarski is a certified nutrition counselor, weightlifting coach, life coach and stress-management specialist.

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