Body Regulation: What is it & Why Does it Work?
You may be clenching your jaw or tightening neck muscles, without even realizing it! Body regulation seeks to increase awareness of bodily sensations and help ease tension. Simply noticing bodily sensations and being aware of their impact can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Several studies suggest that body regulation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation can reduce physical pain, ease stress, and anxiety.
“ Our bodies communicate to us clearly and specifically, if we are willing to listen. ”
Examples of Body Regulation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This exercise involves tensing and relaxing various muscles in your body. This can be done utilizing a guided video or you can use this script to conduct the exercise yourself. This is a good exercise to do if you are feeling stressed, need to wind down before going to sleep, or anytime you want to relax.
Increasing Awareness of Sensations Through Touch
Squeeze on arm up and down with the opposite hand utilizing various types of pressures, speeds, and types of touch. You can squeeze the arm firmly, quickly, lightly, and notice the different sensations each type of touch brings.
Continue to squeeze the arm several times
Pause and feel the contrast between the sensations in the arm you have been squeezing versus the arm you did not squeeze. Notice the difference in sensations.
© Pat Ogden, From Ogden P. & Fisher, J (2014). Sensorimotor psychotherapy: Interventions for trauma and attachment. New York: W.W. Norton.
