Safety is a requirement for growth.
When a trauma occurs that’s too much for your nervous system to fully experience, your body stores what can can’t process at the moment.
You store it as a vibration.
It’s stored until you can process it at a safer time.
Sometimes, however, we may never feel safe enough to feel what we have stored…unwanted emotions, tension, etc.
We need to feel a certain level of safety before we can grow. This is why we spent last month inside the Daily Dose of Healing talking about healing.
Remember that we’re not going for perfection. We don’t need everything in our life to feel safe and secure before we can experience our experience, we simply need to be further ahead than the day before.
So, what are some of the things that give your nervous system a sense of safety?
Here are some suggestions:
1. Deep Breathing and Breathwork
- Practice diaphragmatic breathing: Place your hand on your belly and breathe deeply so that your belly rises on the inhale and falls on the exhale. This stimulates the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic system.
- Try box breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold for 4 again. Repeat for a few minutes to bring a sense of calm.
2. Grounding Exercises
- Connect with your senses: Engage in grounding exercises by noticing what you can see, feel, hear, smell, and taste. This brings awareness back to the present and signals safety.
- Body scan meditation: Gently notice different parts of your body, starting from your toes to your head, noticing any sensations and allowing each area to soften and relax.
3. Physical Touch and Self-Soothing
- Use self-hugging: Cross your arms and give yourself a gentle hug, which releases oxytocin and promotes a sense of security.
- Apply gentle pressure: Try placing your hands on your chest or abdomen, which can be reassuring and helps reduce feelings of anxiety.
4. Mindfulness and Meditation
- Practice mindfulness meditation: This helps you stay present and prevents worry about past or future stressors, which can be grounding and calming.
- Visualization: Imagine a safe place where you feel at peace. Visualizing this space can help your body recognize and tap into that feeling of safety.
5. Engage in Movement
- Gentle exercise: Activities like yoga, Tai Chi, or even a slow walk can soothe the nervous system by releasing tension and promoting a relaxed state.
- Shaking or dancing: Shaking out your arms, legs, or whole body can release stored stress and activate the body’s natural relaxation response.
6. Connect with Others
- Seek supportive social interactions: Connecting with loved ones or friends who make you feel seen and heard helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and fosters a feeling of security.
- Co-regulation: Spend time with someone whose presence feels safe and calming; our nervous systems can “sync up” with those around us, creating a calming effect.
7. Prioritize Sleep and Rest
- Create a calming bedtime routine: Wind down with soothing activities like reading, listening to calming music, or journaling.
- Focus on quality sleep: Prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep allows the nervous system to repair and recharge, providing greater resilience to stress.
8. Sensory Support
- Try soothing scents: Scents like lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood are known to have calming effects. Aromatherapy can signal your nervous system to relax.
- Weighted blankets: These provide gentle pressure that can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a sense of safety and calm.
My 7-day Embodied Growth Immersion starts next week. We will be discussing: nervous system rewiring for growth, why the cells in your body may need to forget their current programming, the frequency for growth, being present with growth, closing trauma loops, internal vs external growth and the quantum leap. Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sI6oQbhj16WaAgeVB