In our lives, especially for those of us who have grown up in environments filled with unpredictability or fear, the world can seem perpetually threatening. This blog post is a gentle guide aimed at helping those who were conditioned to see danger at every turn learn to navigate their surroundings with a renewed sense of safety and trust.

Understanding Hypervigilance
Hypervigilance is often a response to past trauma where danger was a genuine constant threat. It's a state of always being on alert, scrutinizing every interaction and environment for potential risk. While this may have been a necessary survival strategy in the past, it often carries over into safer contexts, shadowing one’s ability to experience life freely and fully.

Recognizing the Signs of Hypervigilance
Do you find yourself constantly analyzing the actions of those around you or perhaps feeling uneasy in what others assure are safe situations? These are signs of hypervigilance and while it makes sense to be hypervigilant in the aftermath of danger, remaining hypervigilant often keeps us disconnected from the present moment. This constant alertness can be exhausting, leaving little energy for the joys and spontaneity of life. It’s crucial to recognize these signs not as integral parts of your personality but as learned responses that can be unlearned.

Steps Toward Feeling Safe
The journey from hypervigilance to feeling safe involves several steps, starting with acknowledging the origins of this heightened alertness. Connecting these feelings to past experiences can help demystify their presence in your life today.

1. Begin Incorporating Grounding Techniques: You may want to start by sitting in a comfortable position in a private space and notice what it feels like to have your feet on the floor. As you feel ready, you can take in your environment and notice anything that feels good or neutral in your immediate space. Notice how in this moment you are relatively safe, and no danger exists. Allow your eye gaze to be slow and intentional so you can break the quick scan eye movements that tend to partner with hypervigilance.
2. Build Your Resources: For some, the breath might feel too overwhelming to access right away, but as you are able, begin to befriend the body a little at a time. Maybe start with noticing and attending to your thirst, hunger, and bathroom cues. If noticing your breath isn’t too activating, attend to your exhale and try to gently elongate your breathing. Building body awareness can happen one gesture at a time.
3. Create a Plan: Having a plan for when you feel overwhelmed can help you feel more in connection with your body. This might include identifying safe spaces, people you can reach out to, and actions you can take to soothe yourself. It can also be helpful to notice how much of our internal experience is about the here-and-now external environment. When you feel activated take notice if the activation is due to something internal or due to an external trigger you can move away from or create distance with.

Consider the phrase: My body is my home

Directions: Allow yourself to speak out loud or internally say this phrase. You might want to try saying it a few times and simply noticing what tone, pace, or volume feels right when trying on these words. Begin to notice any internal reactions, sensations, emotions, thoughts, or images that come up when you consider that your body is your home. See if there is a place in your body ready to receive these words and allow this statement to take up residence there. Return to this phrase as frequently as you need to and if it doesn’t resonate with you today, consider revisiting this concept when you feel ready.

As you start to engage with yourself and the world in new ways, it’s important to do so at your own pace. Each neutral to positive experience can be a building block towards renewed trust in your surroundings, the people in it, and yourself. I would love to see you at the next Somatic Movement and Meditation Group! There is only one session this month, so check it out and see what you think. Our theme for May is connection to self, others, and the world around you. Each session is held virtually, so please join us Monday the 13th from 7-8 pm CT.

Remember, you are not bound to live in the shadow of your past trauma(s). You can rewrite your story—one where you navigate the world not with fear but with curiosity and intention. Allow yourself to envision a life where you are not just surviving but thriving.

Here's to your journey towards healing and rediscovering the joy of meaningful, peaceful engagement with the world.

Thank you for letting me see you,