✨ When the Fire Alarm Keeps Ringing
On soothing your nervous system when the doubt sets in
Last week, I wrote about the creative fire alarm — that inner siren that blares “Who are you to write a novel?” when all you’ve really done is burn the toast.
But what about the mornings when the alarm won’t stop?
When the body hums with anxiety even after you’ve reasoned your way through it?
That’s where somatic practice comes in.
It’s not about thinking your way calm; it’s about listening your way there.
Why listening works
Between what your body senses and what your mind interprets, there’s a micro-gap — and in that gap lies freedom.
A flutter in your stomach, a tight chest, a lump in your throat — they’re not verdicts, they’re data.
If you can meet them with empathy — Yes, this feels scary. Yes, I care deeply about this. — you move from panic to presence.
And creativity thrives in presence.
Three short, practical somatic tools you can try now
1️⃣ The 90-second body orientation
Sit quietly. Spend 30 seconds noticing your breath.
Then move your attention slowly through your body — feet → calves → thighs → pelvis → belly → chest → shoulders → neck → face.
Name what you sense (warm, tight, soft, buzzing) without judging.
It anchors you in the present and calms runaway thinking.
2️⃣ Ground-and-release
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Soften your knees.
Take three slow breaths, exhaling with a soft sigh.
On the third exhale, rock gently forward onto the balls of your feet and back to your heels three times.
Finish with a loose shrug and an “ah” out loud.
Small rhythms shift stuck energy without drama.
3️⃣ Senses anchoring
Silently name 3 things you can see, 2 things you can hear, 1 thing you can feel.
Repeat.
This tiny sensory reset pulls you out of story and into the moment — a quiet antidote to panic.
What a somatic coaching session really looks like
People often imagine endless breathwork or yoga poses.
In practice, it’s subtler than that — and that’s the point.
We begin where you are: the project, the block, the meeting, the deadline.
As you talk, I listen for how your body is showing up — a clenched jaw, shallow breath, a held-in sigh.
Then I offer tiny invitations: a one-minute orientation, a micro-movement, a pause.
You stay in charge; we notice together what changes.
One writer I worked with had been polishing a novel for years.
At the final stage she froze — caught in self-blame and resistance.
When she tuned in, she noticed a tightness in her chest, a small clench in her hands.
We stayed with that, gently breathing.
No pressure, no fixing.
From that space, a memory surfaced — the echo of past rejection.
Naming it opened a door.
Within weeks, she was writing again.
Somatics is the engine that moves stuck energy; coaching is the map that helps you steer.
A small invitation
For me, reconnecting with the body has softened perfectionism, deepened intuition, and made creativity joyful again.
Yoga and meditation feel richer; decisions feel clearer.
The body stopped being a vehicle and became a wise companion.
If you’d like to explore how this approach might support your writing or creative practice, you can book a complimentary 45 minute Discovery Call
More information HERE
The body remembers how to help us — we just need to listen.
😊