Mental health and wellness have seen more recognition now than ever before. Somatic therapy is the new horizon that can help us understand more about the link between our brains and physical bodies.
It offers a holistic healing approach for most people. You can also choose what Somatic therapy techniques work the best for you and incorporate them into your daily life. Below are all the reasons Somatic therapy has become so important to mental health and wellness, so let’s keep reading.
Table of Contents
1. It Offers Self-Regulation
First, Somatic therapy makes it easier to check in with your mind and body. You can tell how you’re feeling and manage any negative emotions you find in healthy ways. When you can tell you’re stressed, you can quickly leave the situation.
Self-regulation also provides physical benefits. You can tell when your muscles need rest and where any pain in your body comes from.
Breathwork is a Somatic therapy skill that you’ll learn to use. It provides excellent self-regulation by helping you to regulate your emotions. It lowers stress and can help you step back and ground yourself. It’s one of the basic techniques everyone learns when they start Somatic therapy.
You’ll also learn about progressive muscle relaxation, a technique where you tense and relax different areas of your body. It can help you release stress that you’re holding onto. Stress can be extremely harmful, so you’ll want to work on managing it healthily during your wellness journey.
Lastly, you’ll learn self-soothing techniques. These activities can help you relax and feel comfortable in any situation. They’re great for regulating feelings of anxiety. Plus, you won’t need to rely on less healthy habits for stress relief when you know how to self-soothe.
2. It Helps Treat Trauma
Trauma is a massive hurdle to overcome in a mental health journey. PTSD has many side effects associated with it, including flashbacks, anxiety, and problems concentrating. It can take a long time to manage these symptoms and relieve your trauma.
Somatic therapy can help with that. It works by regulating negative emotions and releasing muscle tension, both symptoms that can come with trauma.
Traumatic experiences can have long-lasting effects on your mental state. If you want to work on your mental health, that also means you’ll need to take the next step and process your trauma, too.
PTSD requires professional treatment, so talk with your therapist about what Somatic therapy options would work best for you.
3. It Lowers Your Stress
Next, Somatic therapy can reduce stress. Many of the exercises you’ll do, like breathwork, help with stress management. Lowering your stress will help with anxiety and boost your mental well-being over time. You’ll need to work on it every day.
These techniques bring more of your awareness to your body. As you tune into yourself more, you’ll notice signs of tension. You can deal with them earlier, stopping stress responses in their tracks.
You’ll have a better quality of life with less stress because too much can impact your work, relationships, and hobbies. Many people feel more fulfilled after starting Somatic therapy because they return to their lives with less stress holding them back.
Finally, Somatic therapy teaches coping mechanisms. You can use these skills in your daily life, instead of relying on unhealthy coping behaviors.
4. It Promotes Self-Discovery
Somatic therapy will send you on a journey of self-exploration. You’ll grow as you learn more about yourself and what mental health strategies work the best for you. Somatic therapy encourages you to engage with your thoughts and feelings healthily, without judgment.
You’ll participate in creative activities that express yourself. You’ll also do physical activities, like Yoga and breathwork, that connect you with your body. You’ll learn about how you respond to triggers and stressors, plus the best ways for you to deal with them.
Everyone reacts differently to stress, but Somatic therapy is versatile and has many different tools for you to use on your healing journey.
Overall, Somatic therapy encourages you to learn more about yourself. You’ll explore your deepest thoughts and feelings without judgment. You might be surprised about what you discover.
5. It Works as Preventive Mental Health Care
Somatic therapy can make you more resilient in your daily life. You’ll learn plenty of healthy coping mechanisms, allowing you to support your mental health. You won’t be as susceptible to chronic stress issues later in your life.
It may do this by helping you be more resistant to traumatic events. When you’re more grounded, you won’t be as impacted by intense situations. You’ll also have an easier time establishing boundaries when you need them most.
Somatic therapy encourages you to focus on yourself, mainly on how you’re feeling. Putting yourself first keeps your mental and emotional well-being healthy, so you won’t be as much at risk of developing mental health issues.
It does this by promoting self-care, which can mean many things to different people. It could be taking some time for yourself each day or maintaining your hygiene. Many people like relaxing or practicing meditation.
In short, Somatic therapy is a good option for use as a preventive measure. You’ll also feel more fulfilled by participating, making it a win-win for most people.
6. It Encourages Bodily Awareness
Somatic therapy is excellent for building on your mind and body connection. When you feel more linked to your body, you’ll recognize your emotions and know how to regulate the negative ones. It makes it much easier to navigate anxiety issues.
Body awareness can positively impact your wellness in more ways. You’ll listen to yourself more, feel more comfortable in your body, and have more compassion and patience for yourself.
More bodily awareness also lets you know where pain is coming from. You can relieve tension in those areas and pay more attention to how you’re feeling as a whole.
Somatic Therapy is a New Horizon on Your Mental Health Journey
Somatic therapy can assist you on your wellness journey in many ways. It helps with self-regulation, trauma, and stress. Many people also appreciated that it helped with self-discovery and bodily awareness. It even can be used as a preventive measure for mental health issues.
In short, Somatic therapy is a new horizon that we’re learning more about in the mental health field. You’ll want to consider the ways that you can use it to your benefit.
