There comes a point in anxiety where thinking your way out of it stops working. The body has been carrying tension that the mind can no longer name. Somatic exercises for anxiety are a different kind of medicine — gentle, body-first, and built for nervous systems that have already tried hard enough.
Somatic just means of the body. These practices invite your body into the conversation, instead of trying to override it. What follows is a soft list of ten somatic exercises you can try today, in pyjamas, on the kitchen floor.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What are somatic exercises, gently
Quick answer: somatic exercises are body-based practices that work with sensation, movement, and breath to release stored tension and regulate the nervous system.
They’re rooted in the idea that anxiety isn’t just a thought pattern — it lives in the body too. By giving the body a way to discharge that energy, somatic work supports lasting calm in a way that talking alone often can’t.
How somatic work differs from regular exercise
Quick answer: somatic exercises emphasise slowness, sensation, and presence over performance, repetition, or calorie burn.
There’s no goal weight. No streak. Just a gentle conversation with the body. Many somatic practices look almost like doing nothing — and that’s the point.
10 somatic exercises for anxiety
Try one. Notice what shifts. That’s the whole curriculum.
1. Body scan. Lie down. Slowly bring attention from your feet to your head, naming each part softly. Five minutes.
2. Shaking. Stand. Let your hands and arms shake loosely for 60 seconds. Animals do this after stress. So can you.
3. Slow rocking. Side to side, sitting or standing. Nervous systems remember being held.
4. Self-hug with squeeze. Wrap your arms around yourself. Squeeze gently. Breathe. Stay until you naturally let go.
5. Grounded standing. Feel your feet on the floor. Notice five points of contact. Two minutes.
6. Voo sound. Make a low “voo” sound on the exhale. The vibration is regulating. (Yes, it sounds odd. It works.)
7. Resource imagining. Picture a place that feels safe. Notice how your body responds to the image.
8. Soft eye gaze. Let your eyes rest on a soft point. Don’t track. Don’t focus. Just rest.
9. Tense and release. Tighten your fists, hold for 5 seconds, release. Move up the body. End with the face.
10. Three-breath pause. Anywhere. Three slow breaths. A full somatic practice in 30 seconds.
How to choose the right practice for the moment
Quick answer: if you feel frozen or shut down, try movement (shaking, rocking). If you feel agitated or wired, try slowness (body scan, self-hug, soft eye gaze).
There’s no wrong answer. Your body will tell you within 30 seconds whether the practice is landing. If it’s not, switch. Permission to abandon a practice is part of the practice.
A trauma-informed note
Somatic work can stir up sensation. If a practice brings up more distress than calm, ease off. Soften your eyes, find your feet, take a breath. Working with a trauma-informed therapist or somatic experiencing practitioner is the gentlest way to go deeper, especially with stored trauma.
More gentle practices for the body and soul
- 12 Gentle Vagus Nerve Exercises for Anxiety + Calm
- How to Build an Evening Wind-Down Routine That Calms Your Nervous System
- 30 Summer Solstice Journal Prompts (+ Litha Ritual Guide)
- The Mid-Year Reset: 25 Journal Prompts to Begin Again in June
- Grounding techniques for anxiety
- How to ground yourself
- Breaking negative thought cycles
- Soft self-care
Frequently Asked Questions
How is somatic different from yoga or meditation?
Yoga and meditation can be somatic, but somatic work is specifically about sensation and the felt sense of the body. The pace is slower, the focus is inward, and there’s no posture goal.
Can somatic exercises replace therapy?
Not for trauma or significant mental health conditions. These are supportive practices, not a substitute for professional care. They pair well with trauma-informed therapy, though.
How long should I practise each day?
Five minutes is plenty. Consistency matters more than duration. Many of these can be done in 30–60 seconds, tucked into existing routines.
Why do I cry sometimes when I do somatic exercises?
Tears are often stored tension finding its way out. It’s usually a sign that something is releasing — gently. If the emotion feels overwhelming, pause and ground.
Final thoughts
Your body has been keeping you safe in the only ways it knew how. Somatic practice is just thanking it for that and offering a softer option going forward. Try one of these today. The body has been waiting.
— Marco & Dee
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