“And how does that feel in your body?” What a dreadful question. Unfortunately for me, it seems it’s my therapist’s favorite one. 

After a tornado of external processing in session, I’m eventually invited to set aside all my analyses. My therapist then encourages me to think less and feel more. As a professional overthinker, you might as well ask me to lift a Greyhound bus. 

For years, the idea of slowing my mind and tuning into my body didn’t compute. The notion that my body holds memories, energy, and wisdom was bizarre, foreign, even scary. Isn’t my body just a thing that carries my brain from room to room? I thought. Why do I have to feel? Can’t we just stay in the thinking part? That’s what I’m good at. Being up here. In my head. 

“The notion that my body holds memories, energy, and wisdom was bizarre, foreign, even scary. Isn’t my body just a thing that carries my brain from room to room?”

To my dismay, I learned that every moment is a somatic, bodily experience as much as it is a mental one. If I wanted to grow and feel truly alive in my life, I had to attune to what my body was feeling. My health depended on it. 

Studies are clear that chronic disconnection from our bodies has potentially life-altering consequences. Disembodiment comes at a high cost in the form of illness, pain, and unrest. Learning how to calm our minds and tend to our physical need to feel, process, and complete the stress cycle regularly is not only imperative to our health but our survival.

Easier said than done, but not impossible! Here are 99 ways we can climb down the ladder of our minds and move into more awareness of our bodies.   

Start with the body: Easy somatic resets

1. Stimulate your vagus nerve to ease your mind-body connection. 
The vagus nerve is the great connector to your mind and body, regulating heart rate, digestion, and other key components of your wellbeing. Stimulating this nerve can improve all these functions as it triggers your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as rest and digest mode. Start your next morning with this 5-minute vagal nerve reset.

2. Try an orientation practice and ground yourself in the physical space of the room. 

3. Take an ice-cold shower. 
Fully embrace the physical shock of a few seconds under cold water and as you warm back up, see if you notice any new ease in your joints, muscles, and circulation. 

“Fully embrace the physical shock of a few seconds under cold water.”

4. Do a round of face tapping. 
Also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), face tapping can help to soothe daily anxiety and reconnect with your body. If you’re new to EFT, follow along with this guided exercise.

5. Form your own body anchor.
A body anchor is a simple, physical action you can take in the thick of overwhelm that helps to ground your nervous system. An anchor could be patting your hand to your heart, squeezing both thighs gently, holding your cheeks for a moment or two, or whatever communicates to your body “I’m okay.” 

6. Take stock of your senses.
Stop, breathe, and identify one thing for each of your five senses you notice in the room — see, feel, smell, hear, and taste. Describe where in your body you notice the experience of those sensations going, if anywhere. 

7. Hug yourself. 
Science suggests self-soothing touch can help to reduce stress in our bodies and brains. Wrap your arms around yourself, take a deep breath, and see how your body responds after a twenty-second embrace. 

“Wrap your arms around yourself, take a deep breath, and see how your body responds after a twenty-second embrace.”

8. Use box breathing to ground yourself back into the moment. 

9. Try an Ideokinesis Practice.
Use imagery and metaphor to help align your body’s energy from the top down, releasing pent-up tension and reconnecting you with your senses. Get started with this guided Ideokinesis practice.

10. Grab your partner for a consensual six-second kiss or a trusted friend for a twenty-second hug and let oxytocin do its thing! 

11. Sprinkle bite-sized stretching moments throughout your day. 
Add stretching into your daily rhythms by habit stacking. For example, do five minutes of stretching before every meal, every time you use the restroom, or after you brush your teeth morning and night. Check out an app like Bend or MobyLity for guided instruction.

12. Do a body scan. 
Take a moment to slowly evaluate your body area by area without judgment. For a more lengthy practice, check out this resource. 

13. Use power poses to influence your mindset. 
Using a bottom-up approach, if you’re feeling insecure and it’s causing you to overthink, use power poses to communicate to your nervous system, “I belong here. There’s room for me. I can take up space.” Find examples of power poses to try here.

“Use power poses to communicate to your nervous system, “’I belong here.’”

14. Use an evening shower to somatically let go of the day. 
Under the stream, close your eyes and recount your day from start to finish. For beautiful moments that arise in your memory, take a deep breath, perhaps massaging your shoulders and temples, moving the gratitude through your muscles. For stressors that come up, take a second to check in with what sensations are present. Make tight fists as if gripping those emotions in your hands, and when you’re ready, release them under the water and envision them washing down the drain. 

15. Go on an awe walk without your phone.
As you walk, concentrate on the feeling of your feet meeting the ground over and over, of the air moving across your skin, and the light dancing off trees and plants and houses.

16. Connect with your pelvic floor. 
Give this vital area of some TLC. Check out this beginner exercise to get started. 

17. Put your legs up a wall before bedtime. 
There couldn’t be a simpler pose! Try putting your legs up a wall before bed to de-stress and boost circulation. As you do, close your eyes and scan your body. Breathe deeply into aches and pains, feeling the blood run down your legs and collect at your heart as you check in with every area.

Start with the head: Get unstuck from overthinking

18. Use Morning Pages to unload your inner chatter.
Try Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages method to spill all your stream of consciousness on paper when you wake up. Follow your Morning Pages with a yoga practice or workout to drop into your body right at the start of the day. 

19. Externally process with a voice memo. 
Sometimes sitting down to journal feels too taxing. Try using the voice memo feature on your phone to dispense your thoughts verbally, the same way you would with a friend. 

20. Write a Sh*tty First Draft. 
Originally coined by Anne Lamott, the Sh*tty First Draft, or “Stormy First Draft” as Brene Brown modified it, is a practice where you write without judgment the story you’re telling yourself while in the midst of a difficult situation. Allow yourself to be brutally honest. Write without self-editing. Write with no regard to grammar. Just put pen to paper and unload. Check in with your body as you go. 

“Write without self-editing. Write with no regard to grammar. Just put pen to paper and unload.”

21. Unwind the worries of the day with freeform poetry.  
Process your mental spiral via freeform poetry. Try this before your next yoga practice, walk, or at bedtime to make room for presentness in your body and mind. 

22. Do a brain dump before starting a new project. 
Take a moment to dump the contents of your brain and ground back into your body before beginning a new project or task. 

23. Play “Worst Case Scenario” out loud.
Try this solo or with a trusted friend or partner. Say what’s bringing you anxiety out loud. Follow up every sentence with, “And then…” and continue adding on to the fear until you’ve completely unloaded and there’s nothing left to say. This can help to bring anxieties into the light, relieve pressurized energy, and let your concerns live somewhere outside your mind and body. 

24. Draw a mind map to dispense thoughts in a nonlinear way.  

25. Use the “Help in a Hurry” Method.
From neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf, pluck your mind from a cycle of overthinking by pausing and asking yourself these four questions. 

26. Declutter your physical and mental spaces simultaneously. 
As you go through old drawers, cabinets and closets purging things that “no longer bring you joy” as Marie Kondo advises, assign items you’re letting go with thoughts, beliefs, or burdens you’d also like to say goodbye to as well. Thank these items and their paired meanings for their contribution then kindly say farewell. Be sure to welcome in intentions of joy, peace, or compassion in their place. 

“Assign items you’re letting go with thoughts, beliefs, or burdens you’d also like to say goodbye to as well.”

27. Use a physical time-keeper.
When journaling or meditating, try using a physical time-keeper like an hourglass or old fashion kitchen timer to incorporate the kinesthetic experience of flipping the glass or turning the knob into your grounding practices. Let the tactileness ground you in your body.

28. Set a three-day expiration date on new ideas. 
Trick yourself out of the trap of analysis paralysis. If you have an impulse to try a new hobby, start a project, or make a piece of art, set a timer on your phone the moment you have the idea for 72 hours. You must take the first step towards that idea within 72 hours or it “expires.” 

29. Sing a sucky song. 
If you play an instrument, pick it up. Play an easy chord progression and allow whatever words inside to tumble out in song. There’s no need for your lyrics to rhyme or make sense. In fact, try to make it a bad song! Don’t play an instrument? Try this acapella! 

30. Try progressive muscle relaxation before commuting.
Depending on where you live, driving or taking public transit can be one of the most stressful parts of the day. Consider doing a session of Progressive Muscle Relaxation before your commute to and from work to reduce the stress on your mind and body during your travels.

“Consider doing a session of Progressive Muscle Relaxation before your commute to and from work.”

31. Be the boss over your screen time.
Technology is a prime instigator of information overload, comparison, and overthinking, all of which disconnect us from our bodies and the present. Create your own digital minimalism practice and cut off mental spirals at the root.  

32. Keep a mental junk drawer. 
Use a notepad, open journal, or a note on your phone as your mental dumping ground. If your mind starts to race as soon as you sit down to meditate, lay down for sleep, or begin a breathing exercise, record pesky thoughts or to do’s that pop up in your junk drawer so they live outside your body. 

33. Try soul collaging as a way to decompress with your hands while expressing with your heart.

Ground your body in slow pleasure

34. Make your morning coffee or tea a meditation. 
Set a timer for 25, 30, or even 60 minutes and see if you can make your morning cup last that time. Use every sip as a moment to slowly ground yourself in your body, the present moment, and the room’s atmosphere. 

35. Take your inner child on a weekly date. 
Take a page from Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” and reconnect with the carefree child inside by indulging in activities you enjoyed as a kid. Finger-paint, run through your sprinklers, visit your local animal shelter, or go to the community pool and jump in without abandon. Whatever made you feel free as a child, find a way to recreate that experience for yourself as a weekly solo date.

“Whatever made you feel free as a child, find a way to recreate that experience for yourself as a weekly solo date.”

36. Practice mindful eating to stay connected with your body during meals. 
Try University of Utah’s guided mindful eating exercise to help you get started.  

37. Lie under a tree. 
Feel the grass and ground beneath you and study the dance of light through the leaves and branches. 

38. Float on your back in a body of water with your eyes closed. 
Picture the air filling and emptying from your belly as your breath keeps you afloat.

39. Take your yoga mat to the park and stretch in the open air. 

40. Give yourself a golden hour. 
Place a chair in the sunlight, close your eyes, and for as long as is safe for you, let your skin drink in the vitamin D. Imagine the rays nourishing your body and bringing life to your bones. 

“Place a chair in the sunlight, close your eyes, and for as long as is safe for you, let your skin drink in the vitamin D.”

41. Give yourself a decadent foot massage. 
Invest in a luxurious massage oil or lotion you love the smell of. As you caress your feet, thank them for all the ways they support you every day.

42. Use mindful masturbation as a path to embodiment. 
Take a solo evening, pour yourself a glass of wine or a mocktail, and explore some new self-pleasuring techniques. Lean on expert-based sex education platforms like Ferly, Beducated, and OMGYES for guidance.

43. Let an “everything shower” calm your nervous system. 
An “everything shower” refers to a more extensive bathing routine that can involve as many or as few steps as you like. The aim of the Everything Shower is to pamper yourself with a deep, nourishing clean from head-to-toe in a tranquil atmosphere that soothes the senses. Check out this eco-friendly routine from Eminence for inspiration. 

44. Make a pleasure menu.
Like a gratitude list, begin collecting and writing down things you know bring you consistently into embodiment and pleasure. Maybe it’s a piece of rich dark chocolate or a slow walk or a specific erotic experience with your partner. Keep a list for easy reference when needed.

45. Take two minutes for slowness and silence.
In a quiet space, set a two-minute timer. Take two minutes to close your eyes, slow down, and rest into the moment, letting yourself sink into the safety of your body. 

“Take two minutes to close your eyes, slow down, and rest into the moment, letting yourself sink into the safety of your body.”

46. Invite your partner to explore tantric sex. 

47. Go on a photo walk.
Let your eyes wander and snap a photo of whatever flower, bug, plant, or crack in the concrete you feel your senses respond to. 

48. Take yourself out for a fancy coffee, tea, cocktail, or glass of wine. 

49. Try the Japanese tradition of forest bathing.

50. Treat yourself to a head spa treatment and drink in every heavenly moment. 

Escape overthinking with play

51. Grab a friend and roll or glide down a grassy hill. 
Race your pal to the bottom of a hill by barrel rolling down. Use garbage bags as ponchos, apply eco-friendly soap to the outside of the bags, and glide down on your bellies. Go even sillier and freeze your Crocs like these creators and ski down!

“Race your pal to the bottom of a hill by barrel rolling down.”

52. Host an inflatable kickball game.
Find secondhand inflatable costumes at your local thrift store or via Facebook Marketplace and challenge your friends to an inflatable kickball game, giggling your way to home plate.

53. Set a time for fun and make it a household rhythm.
Help everyone let off steam and connect with each other by breaking out one of these popular improv games after dinner each night.

54. Hang out with some kiddos.
Volunteer at your local Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, or after-school program, or offer to take your friend’s kid on an afternoon adventure. 

55. Host a game night with friends. 
Bring out your favorite tabletop games or try interactive party games like “guess what the group wants by cheers” game or the Fishbowl Game or the Vroom Game.

56. Play the clown exercise, the Wrong Game, once a day with yourself.

57. Skip for 30 seconds. 
Skip in the grocery store, down the block, in the parking lot as you look for your car — wherever there’s an opportunity to skip, jolt your body into some low-stakes goofiness. Who cares how you’re being perceived? Let yourself look a little silly and notice how that carefree feeling flows through your limbs.

“Skip in the grocery store, down the block, in the parking lot as you look for your car.”

58. Challenge a colleague to a thumb war.  

59. Play wrestle with your partner. 

60. Get up from your desk and do a round of Crazy Eights. 

61. Sing your thoughts. 
Put a sing-songy voice to your thoughts, no matter how mundane, letting them dance outside your head. The dumber, the better. 

62. Set a timer on your phone each day and have a disco minute! 
Choose a song from this playlist and get your groove on, letting your body move without judgment. 

63. Have a picnic in the park with friends and play the Spin and Jump Game. 

64. Look for any opportunity to playfully (and safely) race a friend at anything.

65. Have a Reverse Talent Show with friends like this creator.

66. Find ways to baby yourself.
Pack yourself snacks, notice when you’re cranky and nap, or get yourself a treat on the way home. In the same way you’d anticipate the needs of a child in your care, baby yourself. 

Snap out of autopilot: Add novelty to your everyday

67. Make small edits to your routine.
Take a new route to work and drink in the different scenery. Try a grocery store you’ve never been to and pay attention to the feeling of fresh produce in your hands when you test for ripeness. Enjoy an evening or morning bath instead of a shower, noticing the contrast between how being submerged in water feels versus it hitting and running down your body.

“Try a grocery store you’ve never been to and pay attention to the feeling of fresh produce in your hands.”

68. Make a hobby lineup. 
Have a handful of things you’ve wanted to try but haven’t gotten around to it? Write out the next 6-12 months on a piece of paper and assign each month with a new craft, activity, or class. Order the kits, sign up for the courses, and utilize the library for resources now so you can hit the ground running later.

69. Get up and get out. 
Use Meet Up to find local, and often free, events in your area where you can change up your environment, get moving, and connect with others. 

70. Cook a new meal from a physical cookbook. 
Enjoy the kinesthetic experience of flipping through the pages, using bookmarks, scribbling notes, and trying one new meal per week, vowing to savor and fully taste your creations one slow bite at a time. 

71. Take a local day trip to a place you’ve never been.   
Choose a coffee shop or restaurant as your first destination, then ask the staff or locals what you should do in the area. Notice how the unrestricted time feels in your body as you let the winds of spontaneity take you. 

72. Refresh your home based on how your body feels inside each space.  
Take an unhurried glance around each space of your home and ask your body, “How could this area be one percent more inviting to you? One percent more restful? One percent more peaceful?” Rearrange or tidy based on what your body says.

73. Romanticize your morning coffee or tea ritual. 
For one week, make your morning cup differently each day. Go sip by sip, analyzing how the new beverage feels, what flavor notes you taste, or what it reminds you of. Vow not to second-guess your impressions of each sip but simply receive and notice. 

“For one week, make your morning cup differently each day.”

74. Go to a local concert of a band or artist you’ve never heard of and don’t look up their music beforehand. 
Go to a local concert and, safety permitting, close your eyes during each song and let the vibration of the music sink into your skin. Check out Sofar Sounds for secret, small-scale shows in your area. 

75. Lose yourself in a genre you’ve never tried. 
Choose a book, movie, or show in a genre outside your comfort zone. Notice the response your body makes to the story, imagery, and tone of the work. What somatic experience do you have with horror, suspense, romance, or audio erotica? 

76. Switch up your fitness routine. 
Work fresh movements into your fitness routine. Consider activities like rock climbing, Zumba, pole dancing, yoga, or hiking. How does your body feel when moving differently than it’s used to? 

“Consider activities like rock climbing, Zumba, pole dancing, yoga, or hiking.”

77. Experiment with a new hairstyle once a week. 
Play around with accessories, styles, and textures to give yourself a different look once a week, taking time to notice how your hair looks and feels in your hands, brushing against your ears, on your shoulders, or down your back. 

78. Swap out your well-loved playlists for the unknown.
On your next commute, listen to an album from start to finish by an artist you’ve never heard of. Use something like this music genre spinner wheel to get a genre, then type that into your go-to music platform’s search bar and see what pops up. Even if it’s not your style, let the music wash over you and take note of how your body receives unfamiliar rhythms and sounds.

79. Wear an article of clothing or piece of jewelry you haven’t reached for in a while. 

80. Let your eyes do the grocery shopping. 
Next time you’re at the grocery store, wander the produce aisle and allow your gaze to wander. Drawn to a certain fruit or veggie? Touch it, feel it, smell it, and then buy it. Find a recipe that incorporates it or try it on its own! 

81. Repot your indoor plants.
Take an afternoon to get some dirt under your fingernails. Repot any plants that need a more expansive home, cutting away root rot as you go and noticing how your nervous system responds with your hands in soil.  

Mantras for finding presence and embodiment

82. I am safe with my body and my body is safe with me. 

“I am safe with my body and my body is safe with me.”

83. I only exist in this moment. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Only now. 

84. Body, thank you for being mine. 

85. If I’ve had the strength to hold on this whole time, I have the strength to let go. 

86. I fill every inch of me with nourishing breath.

87. My body knows. I will trust it. 

88. I allow my body to exist without judgment. 

89. I have a right to shameless pleasure. 

“I allow my body to exist without judgment.”

90. I can hold more than I know.

91. I belong to my body, and my body belongs to me. 

92. This is the only body I get. I vow to love it well. 

93. I have the sanctuary of me, and no one can take that away. 

94. All emotions are energy. I can let that energy flow through me with ease. 

95. My body is always, always, always doing all it can to heal.

“My body is always, always, always doing all it can to heal.”

96. Emotions are survivable. I can embrace them fully. 

97. Body, you’re always doing your best for me. I promise to return the favor for as long as I have you. 

98. Right now, there is nothing to do. Nowhere to go. Nothing to prove. My only job is to be here.

99. My body has been the only one with me at every moment of my life. It is my greatest partner in this life. 

Cheyanne Solis is a copywriter relieving entrepreneurs to rest and invest more in what they love. She writes on practical wellness and mindful productivity from the perspective of sustainable work-life balance. Explore her work and connect here.