Somatic Support for When You’re at Your Limit
As women, it can be all too easy to judge or criticise ourselves when we feel triggered, impatient, overwhelmed, or emotionally stretched. Many of us have learnt to make feeling anything other than “positive” wrong — assuming we should be coping better, regulating faster, or feeling something different to what we actually are.
But when your capacity is being stretched, one of the most supportive things you can offer your nervous system isn’t another tool to fix the reaction. It’s a way to stay connected to yourself and your body while it’s happening.
This is a simple somatic practice I often share with clients when they feel triggered, overwhelmed by emotions, or close to their limit.
1. Allow what you’re feeling to make sense
Before trying to soothe the reaction, see if it’s possible to let your experience be understandable. This isn’t about analysing or justifying what’s happening, but gently acknowledging that your body has its reasons for responding the way it is.
You might quietly say something to yourself like:
“It makes sense that I’m triggered, that comment reminded my body of times I felt dismissed before.”
“It makes sense that I feel frustrated, I’ve been carrying a lot without much support.”
“It makes sense that I feel reactive, my capacity is being stretched right now.”
This step begins to re-wire a new pattern of self-acceptance in place of the internal fight many women have with their own emotions. Instead of being afraid of what you’re feeling, your body starts to sense that it’s allowed.
2. Orient to something steady in your body
Without trying to calm yourself down (calm is not the goal) gently notice a part of your body that has access to something grounded, solid, or neutral.
This might be:
your feet on the floor
the support of the chair beneath your sit bones
your hands resting on your thighs
Often the nervous system settles not because the trigger disappears, but because the body realises it can feel activated and supported at the same time.
This is how we work with triggers somatically — not by overriding them, but by helping the body stay connected to cues of safety and stability while the activation moves through.
When you need more support
If you know the Christmas period has the potential to stretch your capacity or touch on tender places within you, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I currently have space for a small number of one-off somatic coaching sessions. In these sessions, we work directly with what your body is holding, so it feels easier to stay grounded in your present-day, adult self — even when emotions are strong.
→ Book a free Get-to-Know-Each-Other call
→ Or explore Somatic Coaching for women to learn more about how this work supports emotional regulation and self-trust.