How to Release Anxiety from Your Body: Somatic Shaking + Grounding Techniques (Part 2)

Episode Summary

Sometimes anxiety doesn’t feel quiet; it feels electric. Buzzy. Like you can’t sit still. In Part 2 of our somatic movement series on Cope Well, we cover three body-based techniques specifically designed for high-activation states: full-body shaking, the butterfly hug, and orienting. These are rooted in trauma-informed therapy and somatic experiencing, and they work by helping your nervous system discharge stress the way it was built to.

Key Insights

• Animals shake after stress, and so can you.

• The butterfly hug uses bilateral stimulation. Alternating taps across the chest (left, right, left, right) mimic the bilateral stimulation used in EMDR therapy. This cross-body movement helps the brain integrate emotion and signals wholeness and safety.

• Orienting tells your brain you’re safe.

• Match the tool to the activation level. Episode 1 tools (sway, press, shrug) work well for mild-to-moderate stress. Episode 2 tools are better when anxiety feels urgent, physical, or hard to sit with.

What You’ll Learn

• Why your body shakes after stress and how to use that response intentionally

• What bilateral stimulation is and how it helps regulate emotion

• How visual orienting calms the threat-detection system in your brain

• 3 active somatic techniques for high-anxiety moments