Some days, the body remembers before the mind has a say.
Intrusive thoughts.
Old images.
A sudden tightness in the chest.
That feeling like your skin doesn’t quite fit right.
If this is you right now — you’re not broken, and you’re not failing at healing.
I’m writing this because I’ve needed it myself this week.
Sometimes things resurface without warning — not because you’re doing something wrong, but because your nervous system decides to tap you on the shoulder and say, “Hey. I’m still here. And no, you’re not magically over this yet.”
That can feel discouraging, frustrating, or even shame-inducing — especially if you’ve already done a lot of work.
It doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning.
It means something old is brushing up against the present, and your body is asking for care.
When family visits loom, when medical uncertainty hangs in the air, when life piles on things we can’t always name out loud — the body goes on alert. Even when nothing is actively happening, everything feels like it might.
This is where self-care needs to be accessible, not aspirational.
Not bubble baths and perfectly quiet mornings.
But tools you can reach for in the moment — when your nervous system is loud and demanding your attention.
First, a Ground Truth
Trauma responses are not moral failures.
They are survival strategies.
Your body learned them because, once upon a time, it had to.
The goal now isn’t to shut them down — it’s to signal safety.
Gentle Ways to Come Back Into Your Body
These aren’t about fixing anything.
They’re about orienting.
🌿 Temperature Reset
Cold can interrupt a spiral quickly.
• hold an ice cube
• splash cold water on your face
• press a cool can or mug to your neck or wrists
Temperature gives your nervous system something concrete to respond to.
🌿 Name the Room
Out loud, if you can.
Name:
• 5 things you can see
• 3 things you can hear
• 1 thing you can feel with your hands
This isn’t distraction — it’s orientation. You’re reminding your body where it actually is.
🌿 Pressure & Weight
Deep pressure helps the body feel contained.
• wrap up in a blanket
• press your feet firmly into the floor
• hug a pillow, or yourself
Containment equals safety — if you aren’t claustrophobic.
If tight wrapping or pressure feels activating instead of calming, choose expansion instead: stretch your arms wide, sit with your back supported and chest open, or place one hand on your heart and one on your thigh for grounded contact without restriction.
🌿 Slow the Exhale
You don’t need fancy breathwork.
Inhale through the nose.
Exhale longer than you inhale.
Even by one count.
Long exhales tell the nervous system: we’re not being chased.
🌿 Engage the Hands
Hands are powerful anchors.
• knead dough or clay
• rub oil or balm into your palms
• hold a smooth stone, bead, or herb jar
Touch brings you back into the present moment.
Regulating With Others (Co-Regulation)
We’re not meant to regulate alone.
When the nervous system is overwhelmed, safe connection can do what solo tools sometimes can’t.
🌿 Ask for a Hug
Not a fixing hug. Not a pep-talk hug.
Just a hold me for a minute hug.
Deep pressure and steady presence can help your body borrow calm until it remembers how to make its own.
🌿 Breathe Together
Sit facing your partner or loved one.
Place a hand on each other’s chest or back.
Breathe slowly, aiming to match pace.
You don’t have to talk.
Shared breath is regulation.
🌿 Sit in the Same Room
You don’t need conversation.
You don’t need eye contact.
Just existing near someone safe — parallel presence — can help the nervous system settle.
There is no weakness in needing another human.
That’s how we’re wired.
When Thoughts Are Intrusive
Intrusive thoughts are a common nervous system response under stress.
They don’t need interpretation, debate, or correction.
If engaging with them increases distress, shift your focus to something sensory and present:
• feel your feet on the floor
• notice temperature or texture
• return attention to your breath or hands
• seek safe proximity with another person
The aim is not to make the thoughts stop.
The aim is to remind your body where you are now.
A Witch’s Reframe
This isn’t weakness.
This is a body that learned vigilance.
Your practice right now is not expansion.
It’s regulation.
It’s choosing presence over perfection.
It’s tending yourself like you would tend a skittish animal — slowly, patiently, without force.
A Closing Blessing
May your body remember safety.
May your breath find its rhythm again.
May you meet yourself with compassion, not urgency.
And may you know this:
You are allowed to take care of yourself quietly.
You are allowed to protect your energy.
You are allowed to move at the speed your nervous system requires.
🌿
Coming back into the body is a kind of magick — and it counts, even when it’s messy.
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