Somatic Practices to Support You When You Feel Drained, Flat, or Numb
Many of us experience moments in our lives when we feel drained, flat, or numb—disconnected from our bodies, our emotions, and maybe our sense of purpose.
This can feel heavy and unsettling, leaving us unsure of how to find our way back to a sense of presence and vitality.
During these times, somatic practices can be a lifeline. They can offer simple but profound ways to restore our energy, bring us back into our body, and help us feel present again.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what it means to feel somatically disconnected, and simple, nurturing practices to help you begin to reconnect with your body and restore your energy.
Before we dive in, remember that you are the expert in you.
Experiment with the practices that feel good to YOU, and discard those that just don’t feel right.
Recognising When You are Drained, Burnt Out and Numb
Many years ago, I remember the very specific moment when I first noticed this unusual feeling of being detached from myself, my feelings and my own life. I felt numb and disengaged, like a hologram version of myself - going through the motions but not experiencing the aliveness of life.
Feeling somatically disconnected means being out of touch with our body, its sensations, feelings and emotions. It can show up in many ways: you might feel physically drained, mentally foggy, or a sense of being emotionally flat. You may feel like you are struggling to motivate yourself, that you experience a sense of detachment from the things that usually bring you joy, or a lack of creativity and zest for life.
From a nervous system perspective, this often happens when we’ve been living in a state of overwhelm or stress for too long. The nervous system becomes overburdened, and it shifts into a state of low freeze/shutdown —a protective response to help us cope with the overload. While it can be really helpful in the short-term… in the long-term, it can lead to us feeling empty or disconnected.
It’s as if the light within us had dimmed, leaving us functioning on autopilot.
The good news is that by gently tuning back into our body through somatic practices, we can begin to reconnect with a sense of presence and over time, vitality.
The Power of Somatic Awareness
Somatic awareness is the practice of listening to our body’s signals and honouring them as a source of insight, intelligence and wisdom.
Instead of pushing through our exhaustion, it invites us to slow down, tune in, and little by little notice how our body feels in the moment.
This simple yet profound shift from ‘doing’ to ‘being’ brings us back to the present moment, and helps us rediscover a sense of aliveness.
Our bodies hold the key to our well-being, and by listening to what our bodies are telling us, we can begin to nurture ourselves back to presence, aliveness, and health.
Here are three simple somatic practices, which can support you when you feel disconnected. These aren’t overnight miracles, but rather small reconnection points with our bodies that we are invited to practice each day.
Start with the one you are most drawn to, and to take it slowly, going at the pace of your body.
Somatic Practice #1: Connect To The Aliveness Of The Breath
Our breath is a powerful tool to bring us back into connection with ourselves and restore our energy.
Bringing our awareness to the subtle ebbing and flowing movement of the breath can gently guide us back into presence.
Why It Works: Breathwork helps regulate the nervous system, shifting us from a state of numbness to one of more grounded presence. It anchors us in the present moment and can help us dissipate tension that may be stored in the body.
How to Do It: Try this simple breathing exercise to reconnect with the aliveness of your breath:
Find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes.
Place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart if it feels good, or place your hands anywhere on the upper body that feels supportive for you.
If it feels ok, inhale deeply through your nose for a count of 4, allowing your belly to rise fully. As you do, notice the tidal wave of the breath coming into the body, and the sensations of the inhale.
Now, notice the turning point of your breath, the subtle pause between the fullness of the inhale, and the start of the exhale - what sensations are you noticing?
Then exhale with a sigh through the mouth for a count of 8, allowing the body to soften in any way that feels good. What sensations are you noticing as you exhale?
Now, I invite you to notice the turning point of the breath at the bottom of the exhale, just before another wave of breath comes in. Can you feel this subtle pause?
If it feels supportive, repeat this cycle for 5-10 rounds, noticing the tidal wave of the breath coming in and out of the body. Pay attention to how the breath may bring you closer to the moment you’re in through its sensations.
Even a few minutes of mindful breathing can create a noticeable shift in your energy and help you feel more connected to your body.
Somatic Practice #2: Gentle Movement to Dissipate Tension and Invite Vitality
Our bodies are designed to move, but when we feel drained or numb, movement can feel like the last thing we want to do.
However, gentle, intuitive, mindful movement can be incredibly healing, helping to release tension and stagnant energy from the body.
The key here is to move slowly, and intuitively - our focus isn’t on exercising, but on noticing the body sensations and being guided by what the body needs.
Why It’s Needed: Stress, tension, and unprocessed emotions often become stored in the body. These soft movements can help release this build-up and invite a gentle sense of flow and vitality back into our bodies.
How to Do It: Choose any form of gentle movement that feels nourishing to you. Or you might choose to try this:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms alongside your body. Notice the sensations of your feet resting on the ground. Can you feel all the touchpoints between the soles of your feet and the ground beneath you?
If it feels supportive, start to gently sway from side to side, twisting from the abdomen. Keep the body soft and the movement slow.
Let your arms hang loosely by your sides and allow them to ‘flap’ on your body as you twist. Do this for as long as it feels good for you.
Now, roll your shoulders up towards your ears as you breathe in, then drop them gently back and down as you breathe out with an audible sigh out. Repeat this a few times one way, then roll your shoulders in the opposite direction.
Finally, if it feels supportive, stretch your arms over your head on an inhale, and open them wide as you exhale bringing them down (as if drawing large semi circles with the hands).
Focus on how your body feels as you move, rather than how it looks—let it be an intuitive, fluid process (and let go of perfection here - there’s nothing to achieve). What sensations are you noticing - subtle or most prominent?
This gentle movement can unlock areas of tension, helping to restore a sense of aliveness, presence and reconnection with your body.
Somatic Practice #3: Self-touch for Emotional Connection
Self-touch is a simple yet powerful way to provide comfort and grounding. By placing your hands on your body in a nurturing way, you can promote feelings of safety and soothe your nervous system.
Why It’s Powerful: Gentle touch reminds your body that it is cared for and supported. It can help reduce stress and anxiety, and offer a sense of inner safety and emotional connection.
How to Do It:
Find a comfortable position either seated, lying down or standing,
Cross your arms gently over your chest and rest each hand on the opposite upper arms
Starting at the shoulders, slowly glide your hands alongside the arms all the way to the hands. Sense the palms of the hands rubbing against each other, and finally the fingertips touching.
Repeat a few times, focusing on receiving the sensation of touch.
If it feels supportive, you might choose to squeeze or tap the arms gently as you go down the arms a few times
Now, if it feels comfortable to do so, place one hand on the opposite shoulder, and the other hand under the opposite armpit. As if you were giving yourself a hug.
Stay here, breathing naturally. Sense the soothing touch of your hands and their warmth as they rest on your body. Notice what receiving this touch feels like.
Stay in this position for as long as it feels comforting, breathing naturally and allowing yourself to feel held and supported.
Self-touch can be a deeply healing practice, especially during times when you feel disconnected from yourself. It creates a sense of emotional safety, helping you reconnect with your body and emotions.
Creating a Restorative Somatic Routine
Incorporating these somatic practices into your daily life can help you build a consistent routine that supports your well-being. Start by choosing one practice that resonates with you, and experiment with how it feels.
There’s no rush—honour your body’s need for a slow, gentle approach. Healing is not a race; it’s a journey of self-devotion.
My invitation to you is to try one of these practices this week and notice how it may shift your energy.
Conclusion: A Path Back to Presence, Vitality, Sovereignty
When you feel drained, flat, or numb, somatic practices offer a gentle path back to yourself.
Reconnecting with our body is a powerful, transformative step towards reclaiming our presence, vitality and sovereignty.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into this work, consider exploring somatic coaching to support you in cultivating a deeper connection with yourself and your body, and tending to the root cause driving this disconnection. If you would like to explore how a somatic approach could support you, get in touch here.
