When Your Body Feels Stuck in Survival Mode: How Somatic Practices Can Help You Feel Safe Again
- Kelly Huggins
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Have you ever wondered why you can understand your stress but still feel it in your bones?
Maybe you tell yourself, I’m fine, but your body keeps clenching your jaw or tightening your chest. Maybe your mind says, Just relax, but your heart races, your breath feels shallow, and you can’t seem to settle. You are not broken. You are having a very human response to overwhelm.
When life has felt unpredictable, stressful, or unsafe, your nervous system has been working overtime to protect you. Over time, this can leave you stuck in a state of constant vigilance or numbness. Even when you want to feel calm, your body might not know how to get there.
Why Your Nervous System Matters
Your nervous system is the part of you that decides whether you are safe, threatened, or shut down.
When you experience stress or trauma, your body learns patterns to survive—like bracing for impact, withdrawing, or staying on high alert. While these patterns once kept you safe, they can become the default mode, even long after the danger has passed.
This is why telling yourself to just calm down rarely works. Your body needs new experiences of safety, not just new thoughts.
What Are Somatic Practices?
Somatic practices are simple, body-based tools that help you notice, understand, and gently shift your nervous system responses.
They might include:
Mindful breathing techniques that signal safety to your body
Grounding exercises that help you feel anchored in the present
Gentle movement or touch to release stored tension
Awareness practices that build connection to your body without judgment
When practiced regularly, these tools can help you feel more calm, centered, and capable of responding to stress in healthier ways.
Healing in Community
While individual therapy is powerful, healing alongside others can offer something uniquely impactful.
In a safe group setting, you have the chance to see that you are not alone in feeling stuck or overwhelmed. You can witness others exploring new ways to care for themselves and discover shared humanity that softens shame and creates hope.
Learning and practicing somatic tools in community can help you feel encouraged, supported, and inspired as you build new skills.
Introducing Grounded to Connected: A Somatic Practices Group
At Creating Space Therapy, we created Grounded to Connected for people who are tired of living in survival mode.
Over eight weeks, you will learn to:
Understand how your nervous system works
Notice the cues your body sends you
Practice somatic tools to feel calmer and more connected
Develop a personal toolkit you can use anytime
Feel supported in a warm, non-judgmental community
This group is not therapy, but it is a powerful step toward feeling more at home in your own body.
Meet Your Facilitator
Grounded to Connected is led by Lydia Gedmin, a Social Worker and somatic-informed therapist who understands what it feels like to live in survival mode. Lydia brings a warm, down-to-earth presence to every session. She has extensive training in somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed care. Lydia believes that healing happens when you feel seen, respected, and gently invited to try something different.
Her approach combines clear education, compassionate guidance, and practical tools you can start using right away. Whether this is your first experience with somatic work or you have been on your healing journey for years, Lydia will meet you exactly where you are.
A Different Future is Possible
Imagine waking up and feeling a little more ease in your chest. A little more space in your thoughts. A little more trust that your body can be your ally again. You deserve that.
Because people like us, people who have carried heavy things and still choose hope, are not meant to do this alone.
People like us believe that healing happens in the small, brave steps we take to come back to ourselves.
If you are ready to begin, I invite you to learn more about Grounded to Connected. Spaces are limited to keep the group small and supportive.
Learn more here and call us today at 630.601.3460 to reserve your spot.
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