stress discharge

I’ve discussed various aspects of Polyvagal theory here

One of its core principles is the observation that your subconscious needs to feel safe, at a primeval level. Much “top down” or “talking therapy” fails because your primeval brain doesn’t listen to logic, it communicates in emotion. It needs to physically feel safe.

One of the crucial drills is the seated safety drill. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to have to assume you have practised this drill

You need to own this drill as its your safety refuge in the journey you need to take to begin to discharge some of the stress you have built up.

As a massage therapist and a trainer, my expertise is to make physical connections to support mental health. Whilst I did my counseling qualifications back in 2005 and my “motivational interviewing” when I was a GP referral trainer, and my stage hypnosis training in 2015, my approach is not to fumble around in your conscious, making you relive awful stuff. It’s to work on a very basic physical level, to make you feel safe.

Start by thinking of something that you think is stressful ( think of a 4/10). Now I want you to identify the physical sensations of your stress state. Below is a list compiled by Elizabeth Stanley.

If it helps when I feel stressed, I feel a pressure in my chest, and a pounding in my ears

Faster breathingReduced visual field
Difficulty breathingHair standing on end
Tightness in chest or bellyLosing bladder /bowel control
Faster heart rate/pounding heartRacing thoughts
nauseaAnxious thoughts
Butterflies in stomachrumination/looping thoughts
Dry mouthAnxiety or panic
Clenched jawImpatience irritation or rage
Pale and cold skin
Sweaty palmssadness
sweatingshame
Hunched postureoverwhelm
dizzinessrestlessness/fidgeting

The drill becomes this.

sit down, get safe, with your back against the wall, on a solid chair. Think of something stressful full and switch your attention between your physical contact points and one of your physical expressions of stress. Keep on doing this until you feel a sensation of discharge. A sensation of discharge could be any of the following.

shaking/tremblingcrying
twitchinglaughing/giggling
Slower deeper breathingyawning
Slower heart ratesighing
Relaxation in the chest of bellyStomach gurgling
tingling/buzzingburping
Waves of warmthfarting
chillscoughing
Flushed  skin/sweatingitching

There is a little bit more to come but for now, recognise the physical expressions of stress activation, and “ground and release” them.

There is more to come. but for now, learn this.

NB, only practice with thoughts that generate a 4/10 stress response. Dont jump in to something super traumatic

To keep up to date with fitness, physical therapy and mindfulness tips join my mailing list here:

Leave a Reply