Finding Steadiness in Challenging Times: A Somatic Approach to Engaging with the World
In today’s political landscape, many of us are grappling with how much to engage with the news, how much to step back, and how to balance awareness with self-care. I hear this from clients and friends all the time—how do we honor our values of staying informed and empathetic while also tending to our own well-being?
One of the most important questions I’ve been asking myself lately is: What do I know about myself now?
With years of deepening my understanding of nervous system regulation, I’ve come to recognize that my ability to engage with challenging issues is directly tied to my ability to first anchor in steadiness, safety, and connection.
Before taking in the world, I need to first take in myself.
A Somatic Check-In: Finding Your Center
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about how much to engage with the news, social media, or difficult conversations, try this simple check-in:
- Pause & Orient
- Look around your space. Name 5 things you see. Feel where you are in this moment.
- Let your eyes rest on something neutral or pleasant. Let your breath settle.
- Notice Your Body
- Where do you feel sensation? Is there tightness, buzzing, constriction, or a sense of ease?
- Do you feel grounded in your seat or feet?
- Ask Yourself:
- Do I feel steady, open, and curious?
- Or do I feel tight, activated, and tense?
- Do I have the capacity to take in more right now, or do I need to tend to myself first?
The 8 Cs of IFS: A Guide to Self-Connection Before Engaging
To determine if you’re in a good place to engage with the world, check in with these 8 qualities of Self-energy from Internal Family Systems (IFS). When we are connected to Self, we feel:
- Calm – Is my nervous system settled, or am I agitated?
- Clarity – Am I thinking clearly, or am I caught in reactivity or confusion?
- Curiosity – Am I engaging from a place of openness, or am I locked into fear or frustration?
- Compassion – Can I hold my feelings and others’ perspectives with kindness?
- Confidence – Do I feel steady in myself, or do I feel shaken?
- Courage – Can I engage with what’s happening without collapsing or shutting down?
- Creativity – Can I imagine solutions, or do I feel stuck in hopelessness?
- Connectedness – Do I feel like part of something bigger, or do I feel isolated?
If you feel disconnected from these qualities, it may be a sign to pause, ground, and return to yourself first before engaging.
Practices to Reconnect Before Consuming News or Engaging in Difficult Conversations
If you notice that you feel off-center, here are a few somatic practices to bring yourself back to steadiness:
- Press Into Your Seat – Feel the contact of your body with the chair or ground. Press down lightly with your feet. Take a slow breath.
- Place a Hand on Your Chest or Belly – Feel the warmth of your own presence. Let yourself know, “I’m here. I’m with myself.”
- Shake Out the Tension – Stand up, bounce lightly on your heels, shake out your hands. Let any stuck energy move through.
- Humming or Sighing – A long exhale, a low hum, or even a gentle sigh can shift your nervous system into more regulation.
- Touch Something Grounding – Hold a warm cup of tea, run your hands under cool water, feel the texture of something steady in your space.
- Time Your Engagement – Set a timer for how long you’ll read the news or scroll. Give yourself permission to step away when the time is up.
- Close with a Ritual – After engaging with challenging content, bring yourself back with a slow breath, a sip of water, or a look at something beautiful.
Honoring Your Boundaries & Capacity
The truth is, we aren’t meant to hold everything, all at once, all the time. Our nervous systems aren’t built for it. And just because we have access to an endless stream of information doesn’t mean we need to take it all in.
Some days, we have more capacity to engage. Other days, we need to step back, recharge, and care for ourselves so that when we do engage, we can do so from a place of steadiness and clarity.
Give yourself permission to choose when and how you engage. To step back when you need to. To step forward when you feel ready. To stay connected to yourself in the process.
A Final Question to Hold:
As you move through this season, ask yourself:
Am I engaging in a way that honors my steadiness, or am I losing myself in the noise?There is a way to stay present in the world while staying present to yourself. May we all find the balance.