Introduction
When anxiety hits, being told to "just breathe" or "think positive" can feel almost insulting. That's because anxiety isn't just a thought — it's a full-body experience. Your heart races, your chest tightens, your muscles brace. To calm it, you need to work with the body, not just the mind.
That's where somatic exercises come in.
What Are Somatic Exercises?
"Somatic" simply means relating to the body. Somatic exercises are movement or sensation-based practices that help regulate your nervous system by working directly with physical experience — rather than trying to think your way out of anxiety.
They're rooted in somatic experiencing, a therapeutic approach developed by Dr Peter Levine, and in polyvagal theory, which explains how our nervous system shifts between states of safety, threat, and shutdown.
5 Exercises to Try Right Now
1. Physiological Sigh Take a double inhale through the nose (a short sniff on top of a full breath), then a long, slow exhale through the mouth. This is the fastest known way to reduce physiological arousal. Do it 2–3 times.
2. Grounding (5-4-3-2-1) Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. This brings your attention into the present moment and out of the anxious spiral.
3. Vagus Nerve Humming Hum any note for 30 seconds. The vibration stimulates the vagus nerve, which activates your parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. It sounds simple because it is — and it works.
4. Shaking Stand up and gently shake your hands, arms, and legs for 1–2 minutes. Animals do this instinctively after a threat to discharge stress hormones. Humans have largely lost the habit — but it's remarkably effective.
5. Cold Water on the Face Splashing cold water on your face or holding your breath briefly while submerging your face triggers the dive reflex, which slows your heart rate rapidly. Useful for acute anxiety spikes.
Want More?
Our Nervous System Reset guide walks you through 6 somatic exercises in full detail — including vagus nerve techniques and somatic experiencing practices — in a 15-minute daily routine you can build into your life. Get the Guide below