Somatize: 5 exercises so that the mind does not make the body sick

Headaches, poor digestion, back pain, skin conditions, fatigue… At any given moment, we can all somatize our emotional suffering and turn it into physical pain and changes in health. You may even have been carrying a greater load of stress for some time and this has impacted your body in one of the ways indicated.

Somatization is an experience in which a person experiences a whole series of physical alterations without these having a clear etiology. They are distressing situations because, many times, as noted in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, even doctors themselves are afraid to link these events to psychological factors and overlook some underlying illness.

Be that as it may, the good news is that there are strategies to avoid this type of process. Next, we teach you how to make your mind an ally at all times and so that it does not make your body sick. Pay close attention!

Somatization is related to a constant deregulation of the nervous system, which can cause alterations in our internal balance and in our own health.

What is somatization and how does it manifest?

We talk about somatizing when the brain gets trapped in a constant stress response. Any traumatic or adverse event can cause you to react maladaptively. Your coping skills cannot handle this distress, and then the central nervous system becomes deregulated and releases excess cortisol and adrenaline into the body.

All these processes translate into pain, physical discomfort and changes in health.. Likewise, research such as that published in Frontiers in Public Health indicates that these clinical realities are common among the population. They are alterations that are not explained by medical conditions and that, although they are usually temporary, do alter people’s lives.

Next, we describe what the most frequent somatic alterations tend to be:

headaches, hair loss, continued fatigue, sleep disturbances, jaw tension, back and neck pain, tachycardia and hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, skin conditions such as dermatitis or rashes, gastrointestinal symptoms such as heavy digestion, gas or stomachache.

Exercises to stop somatizing

One of the figures who has most investigated somatization processes is the psychologist and doctor in biophysical medicine Peter Levine.. One of his most interesting books on this subject is In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Well-Being (2021). It is a work aimed at understanding this clinical reality and healing it.

Therefore, if you want to know how to stop somatizing to prevent pain, discomfort and bodily illnesses, the keys that we present here can help you. Take note!

1. Develop somatic awareness

One of the most important objectives to prevent and treat somatization is to develop good interoception.. It consists of connecting with everything that happens internally in your body. In this way, if you enhance this sense, you will also be able to identify which emotions can explain many of those discomforts or alterations that you suffer.

Research published in the journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine highlights that this would be a useful resource for primary care physicians. Thanks to this strategy, the psychological factors associated with somatic disorders can be clarified in order to heal. Let’s see the actions carried out in this process:

Lie down in a comfortable, quiet place. Breathe deeply for five minutes. Next, notice how your body feels. In what areas are you experiencing pain, tension or discomfort? Focus on those points and think about what emotion is behind them. .Is fear? Is it stress? Is it anguish? Are these emotions due to specific experiences? Clarify the origin and work on those psychological realities.

2. Exercise grounding or grounding

If you want to stop somatizing or prevent this experience, we recommend the technique of groundingbased on bodily and sensory activation. The objective is to deactivate stress and anxiety in the body, divert negative thoughts, focus the mind on the present and induce a feeling of well-being.

In an article in Frontiers in Psychology, they tell us that it is a valid resource among body psychotherapists and that it favors attention in the here and now. These are the steps so you can benefit from this technique:

Body stimulation: dance, move, walk, play sports. Stimulate your vision: observe scenarios that relax or inspire you. Stimulate your hearing: play music that you like or ASMR sounds that generate a feeling of well-being. Stimulation of taste : try different flavors, foods with various textures and savor them slowly. Smell stimulation: activate your brain and your senses with various natural fragrances such as lavender or mint. Touch, pleasure in your hands: an exercise to stop somatizing It is working with your hands, making crafts, petting your loved ones, etc.

3. Expressive communication exercise

To prevent and treat somatization you must leave out what is inside. And, to do this, there is nothing better than talking, than expressing yourself in all the ways possible in order to facilitate adequate emotional relief. On the other hand, it is important to consider that somatization usually appears as an effect of some underlying trauma.

In fact, it is common that in these cases the traumas have chronic pain as their main somatic symptom. In these clinical conditions, communication and emotional expression are useful. These would be the guidelines to carry it out:

Improve your emotional language. Learn to describe your feelings and emotions with words. To do this, start your sentences with “today I feel (…)”.Start a journal. Write in it what you feel every day, as well as your worries. The idea is that you acquire the habit of expressing in writing what is on your mind.Analyze what is written. To do this, ask yourself the following: how can I handle what worries me? What is the reason for this emotion I feel? What can I do to regulate it?Share with others what you feel. Find a person in your environment with whom you have a good relationship, who does not judge you and knows how to be a good support. Talk to her about your emotions, memories and sensations. It will allow you to let off steam and find new perspectives.

4. Emotional regulation exercises

In your day-to-day life it will be useful to have “your personal box of emotional tools”. They are simple and practical resources that will allow you to manage stress, relieve anxiety, train attention and regulate those most difficult states that can be somatized in your body. We give you some simple examples of those exercises that will be useful to you:

Jacobson progressive relaxation technique: consists of exerting tension in various areas of your body and then relaxing those same regions. You can start with the hands, to continue with the jaw, abdomen, legs, etc.deep breathing technique: The key to this tool is diaphragmatic breathing. To do this, breathe deeply through your nose, hold that air for a few seconds and feel your abdomen swell; then exhale.Mindfulness or mindfulness: It is a method that allows you to train your attention to focus on the present, on what is happening at this very moment. As pointed out in a work published in Frontiers in Psychology, this technique is useful for those states of emotional dysregulation that cause suffering and discomfort.

5. Confrontation strategies and physical self-care

Traumas and difficult emotions not only stay in your mind, they also stick to your body. That accumulated tension exerted by a high level of hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, grips many parts of your body.

To solve this situation, Dr. Peter Levine, in his book Freedom from pain: discover your body’s power to overcome physical pain (2012), recommends the following strategies:

Perform physical exercises that allow you to confront the pain you feel. An example of this is hitting a punching bag, running intensely for a few minutes, shouting “no” out loud, etc.Carry out practices that give you calm and psychophysical security. In this case, it may be useful to hug or be hugged, relax with hot water, walk on a beach, receive a massage session, etc.

Take care of the mind, to heal the body

Your body and your mind have a direct relationship. What you do not face can become a condition that medicine does not fully specify. If you are going through a similar situation right now, take a breath and relax: you can change that circumstance to feel better.

Start with these simple exercises described here and prioritize yourself a little more, offer yourself the attention you need. Self-compassion and self-care should be your best allies in this process. In addition, Do not hesitate to consult with a specialized professional if you feel that these symptoms are overwhelming you or if there is some trauma that you have not yet attended to. Over time, you will achieve well-being.

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