Step Into Full Body Awareness to Overcome Stress and Anxiety

Human beings are historically an itinerant species. As hunter-gatherers, we moved in order to survive.

Even today, movement is as natural to us as breathing. But as we've evolved, we've become a very mental species. The brain's large frontal cortex is designed for decision-making. That means that it's also excellent at worrying and thinking about potential situations and outcomes.

Escape those Mental Sharks with Embodied Movement!

Source: Sira Anamwong/FreeDigitalPhotos

Also, a convergence of events has made us less active. Many of us work at computers (myself included, as I write this).

The pandemic has made working remotely from home more commonplace. More people are buying groceries and other essential goods online. All this might mean that we move less, all the while spending more time in our heads, planning, thinking, and, yes, worrying.

Worry Hijacks Your Attention

In terms of brain science, almost anything that gets you worrying hijacks your attention and prepares you for fight or flight–while simultaneously turning on the body's stress response.

That's because the amygdala, the part of the brain designed to protect us from threats, is always on, always receiving input from our senses. It's like a fire alarm waiting to detect smoke and then sound the alarm. The problem, however, is that since we're primed to think about the future and worry about things that will likely never happen, we are in a constant state of preparedness.

We need to re-calibrate that fire alarm (amygdala) by stepping back into the present moment. When you get into the present moment, you re-capture and reclaim your attention. The best way to reclaim the present is to get embodied through even a few moments of intentional movement.

Step Into Your Body and Reclaim the Present Moment

As a psychotherapist, I worked with many anxious clients. Often, I would suggest we move around my office using intentional or mindful walking. I remember one individual who was besieged by anxious thoughts. No one was in the waiting room, so we did mindful walking for about five minutes, snaking from my office down a short hallway to the waiting room. Each step was done by setting an intention and observing as the body moved. (To learn mindful walking, see the three-step practice below.) We concluded maybe three of these circuits around my office. Then, as my client prepared to sit down, I asked him, "While we were walking, where were your anxious thoughts?"

I still remember the shocked expression, his eyes opening wide. "I didn't have any. They were gone!" he exclaimed. Without realizing it, the mindful walking practice had brought him into a present-moment attention state.

Research from psychologist Elissa Epel and cellular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn illustrates how psychological stress affects us at the cellular level by shortening our telomeres, a structure at the end of chromosomes. Telomeres are a biological marker of aging. The study concluded, "Women with the highest levels of perceived stress have telomeres shorter on average by the equivalent of at least one decade of additional aging compared to low-stress women." In other words, a present moment awareness state slowed down cell aging and promoted cell longevity.

Movement by itself doesn't alleviate stress and worry. But when done consciously and intentionally, getting embodied can help you be more present so you can act from a more calm and centered place. Use the practice below whenever you feel stressed or anxious, such as while walking to the car, going into a staff meeting, or walking into your home.

Three-Step Mindful Walking Practice for Reducing Stress and Anxiety

As you prepare to walk, set an intention for each step and movement you take. This can be a mental intention, said silently. For example, you can set the intention to “take a step with my right foot,” after which you will follow up by taking that step. As you take the step, you will observe and notice very closely how it feels as your foot lifts up, moves forward, touches down, and even how it feels as you shift the weight from one side of the body to the other.

In other words, this is really a simple Three-step process of

1. Setting an intention.
2. Following up with action.
3. Noticing and observing the movement in detail. It’s that easy!

This practice, along with several others for reducing anxiety and stress, is in The Mindfulness Toolbox. Also, keep in mind that there are many ways to get fully embodied with movement, from a practice of yoga and qigong to mindful walking. Even a slow, gentle intentional stretch or just giving yourself a soothing self-hug are ways of reclaiming attention through movement.

Anxiety Essential Reads

When Someone Else's Tragedy Becomes Your Fear

Why Panic Often Sends Us to Medical Specialists

Enjoy each movement you take that brings you into your presence!