Movement idea to the feeling of overwhelm
Here is an idea that I have found useful to experiment with. Intense physical movement for 5-10secs in moments when I am overwhelmed or stuck.
Recently I have been watching myself, consciously aware of how I am in the moment. I notice that when I feel overwhelmed or stuck, there is freeze in my body. Sometimes it is a moment, but often this feeling/state lingers. Physically I catch myself hardly breathing, my body is still and it's like there is a rock in my stomach. Often the trigger is my thoughts. It's uncertainty about the future, things out of my control, feelings of too much to do, high expectations to meet or that I have to force myself to get something done against my own will.
When I’m feeling stuck/overwhelmed, of all possible physical actions to take, the one I find of most value is a moment of intense movement. I run on the spot as fast as I can with full tension (at an “over the top speed”) for 5-10 seconds. If I can’t run, I imitate the movement in sitting with the same intensity by moving my legs and arms. Though it sometimes it takes a few attempts, the effect of reaching such intensity and holding it for that short period is immense.
I notice the intense action causes feeling to come back into my body. (A small warning: it can be quite uncomfortable.) The feeling of stuck releases… Emotions that I have been avoiding come back into my body and in time clear. (A fascinating study shows the body clears a natural emotional response on average within 90 seconds).
Sometimes it can take a few attempts. As my body becomes present with the movement, the emotions enter and dissipate it is liberating. I am left with a huge amount energy and agency. The restoration of energy and natural flow return providing relief. I have the desire to move and breathe.
The feeling of stuck/overwhelm and its connection to trauma being released through movement, fit well into Peter Levines trauma response theory:
We store trauma in the body because our body was unable to respond to a perceived danger in the moment. Instead of moving to fight or flight from the freeze state, the body gets stuck. This happens if the freeze state is activate for too long. This causes us to overwhelm, not believing in agency to change, escape or beat the situation. It is the feeling of helplessness, things are outside of our control and reaction feels pointless. Levines theory is to create change by reenacting the physical response that was unavailable or missing.
The idea of danger and trauma in our world today is also interesting due to conditioning. In our everyday lives there are few real threats to our existence. Yet small innocuous moments can often trigger us. This is a trigger of memories of past experiences, associations with times we felt in danger. Often overblown reactions and triggers to setback or someones comment act out like a “tantrum”. Again a natural physical response.
Society doesn’t like such reactions and so as children we learn to hold in feelings and suppress them. Our body course wants something else (whether justified or not). The nervous system is far quicker to trigger us than our rational brain can respond. The suppression is the freeze state. It creates a conflict between our natural physical response and the perceived safety and consideration of others. The freeze state leaves us stuck.
To get around this, in conversation it’s easier to respond and work through the moment. Being conscious and aware, we can rationalise, recognise the danger and take a moment before responding- The mindful pause. With a real threat, we can act! Problems arrises when there is not someone or something to react to. Our bodies perception, though irrational is real. Then, turning to a moment of intense movement can help.
Though I connect this idea with feeling stuck, it seems to also work well in other less dramatic states. These states connect to the idea of trauma but to a lesser intensity:
lethargy,
resistance
procrastination
lack of focus
unwillingness
reluctance
emptiness
These states I find I experience more often than I would like. So here I am, running at high intensity on a regular basis!
A picture I have in my mind of the process: the effort of pushing a ball over the top of the hill. The rest takes care of itself….
So if you are feeling a little blahhh, give it a go! See what happens!
More thoughts about this from Nicole LePera: https://twitter.com/Theholisticpsyc/status/1632011612973576192?s=20