5 benefits of body-based approaches

You may have noticed how anxiety can affect your body. Common physical symptoms of anxiety are muscle tension, increased heart rate, breathlessness, sweating, headache and feeling lightheaded.

Traditional talking therapy works on the theory that if you can change how you think it will change how you feel. However, in recent years more studies have shown how regulating your physical symptoms of anxiety first can help your body feel safe, and hence increase the mind's ability to engage in a rational thought process.

"Anxiety isn’t just in your mind. It’s stored in your body. Healing requires learning to regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your body, and create safety within yourself."

- Dr. Nicole Lepera 

Body-based approaches are based on the neuroscience that you experience the world not just through your mind, but through your body as well. Your emotions are expressed not just through thoughts, but also through bodily sensations.

By working with the body in therapy your therapist can help you to better understand and regulate your feelings. They can also be applied to help you process and heal from traumatic experiences.

There are various body-based approaches, for example, breathwork, EFT therapy, art therapy and mindfulness with body movements.

How can body-based approaches help with anxiety?

1. Increase your emotional resilience

Anxiety and its physical sensations can feel uncomfortable and overwhelming. By learning body-based approaches, for example, Breathwork, it might feel easier to stay with the physical sensations and anxious thoughts for a bit longer.

By using a breathwork practice to help you feel calmer, you are more likely to be in a state where you can apply other strategies you have learnt in therapy to manage the anxious thoughts.

A breathwork practice which is suitable for everyone and easy to use is coherent breathing. Coherent breathing is when you inhale for the same count as you exhale and has a balancing effect on your nervous system. You may create a more calming effect by gently increasing the count.

For example, when you start you might be inhaling for the count of three and exhaling for the count of three. After a minute, you can try to inhale for the count of four and exhale for the count of four and notice how that feels.

It should not feel forced, hence only increase the count to a level that feels manageable for you.

This type of breathwork practice can be particularly helpful when you want to manage your anxiety levels and feel more balanced, such as before an important presentation at work.

2. Help you to process past traumas

There can be many reasons for long-term anxiety, one of them being past trauma. Dr Bessel van der Kolk described in his book, The Body Keeps the Score, how the effect of trauma is stored in the body and how body-based approaches had a positive effect on the healing journey of his patients.

When you have gone through past traumatic events, you may react in a disproportionate manner to the current situation. A benefit of body-based approaches is that they aim to help with emotional regulation which creates a sense of stability and safety.

If practiced regularly this increased sense of safety can make it more manageable for you and your therapist to help you work through and process past traumas. It is essential that this part is done with a qualified and experienced therapist.

3. Be able to relate to yourself and others on a deeper level

A crucial component of using body-based approaches is that you are more likely to be in tune with your body. Becoming more aware of your bodily sensations and emotions can help you to identify your needs sooner and address them.

Consequently, once you get a better understanding of your needs and emotions, it can be easier to relate to yourself and communicate more clearly with your loved ones.

4. Help to release your emotions

Incorporating body-based approaches in therapy can help you connect with your emotions and find ways to express and release them. Emotions are meant to be expressed and for some people talking about their emotions might be enough to help them process and release them.

Yet, for some using body-based approaches can be more effective in processing and releasing emotions, especially deep-seated ones.

5. Improved emotional self-regulation

We feel anxious when our nervous system perceives that we are under threat. The primitive part of our brain activates the fight or flight mode and the release of cortisol and adrenaline creates some of the symptoms we experience.

Working with the body can signal to your nervous system that you are safe and help you feel calmer. Once your mind feels more settled, it can be easier for it to create some distance between you and your bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings.

This can give you a better understanding of your feelings’ root cause and what underlying needs they might be attempting to raise.

Like most other therapeutic strategies, if they are applied regularly outside the therapy room, the benefits are likely to be noticed sooner. 

This article has described the benefits of using body-based approaches to manage anxiety. As previously stated, anxiety affects your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. By incorporating body-based techniques into traditional talking therapy, the practitioner provides a holistic approach to the management of your anxiety symptoms. 

In addition, it can enhance the development of your self-awareness, emotional resilience and well-being. 

For those considering body-based approaches, it is important to find a practitioner who is qualified in them to ensure your healing journey will be as safe and empowering as possible. How and when these approaches are incorporated into therapy can depend on factors such as the reason for your current anxiety and your therapist’s main approach. 

For example, if you think it’s likely that the anxiety you are struggling with is based on past traumatic events, your therapist may suggest initially focusing on developing emotional regulation skills and establishing a secure therapeutic relationship. 

A part of this phase can be incorporating body-based approaches to help you feel safer and more grounded during the sessions, and also in your daily life. Once this has been achieved, your therapist may suggest that, if you want, you can collaboratively start working through the past traumatic events. 

If you would like to find out more about how body-based approaches can be used in therapy, please get in touch with a professional for further information.