Table of Contents Show
Have you ever felt so detached that the only thing you hear is your thoughts being so toxic that you slowly lose connection to everything and eventually your body? So how to feel safe in your body when in doubt? You finally reach the point of feeling unsafe in your body, not feeling confident, and out of it.
For the body to function healthily, it must be present both mentally and physically. Being detached from even one can sometimes always lead to serious mental health issues.1
A person should not be disconnected from any part of the body. Your body is your zen, so you should take time to take care of it just as you take care of your loved ones. That is how to feel safe in your body.
Mental health is as much as important as your physical health. Your head is what talks to your body, instructing it what to do and how to be. For your mental health to be healthy, your body should be in the condition to listen and abode well.
This can sometimes fail for people who don’t feel secure with their bodies. People can unconsciously be sending negative energy to their bodies. And when they do that, it can, in turn, be very harmful to the cells of the body because your body goes deeper than you think. Negative energy reaches the deeper parts of the body, so be careful how you treat it.
So how to feel safe in your when in so much doubt within yourself? You have to start with being aware of your body and how it reacts to situations. That is how you start to feel safe with your body.
1. How The Body Identifies Fear
This may sound silly at first, but the body is almost always the first to react when encountering danger. When a person enters a situation where one starts to feel so insecure that they start to panic before comprehending what to do. The panic can be identified in three forms of reaction: fight, flight, or freeze modes, where the person acts almost without thinking.
Fight or flight or freeze mode is a common physiological reaction. The reaction is to a stressful or dangerous situation where the sympathetic part of the nervous system 2activates to dim the emotional pain the person is experiencing.
The mind-body connection heightens here as the mind immediately indicated the body to go into fight, flight, or freeze.
1.1. Fight Mode
Fight mode is where the body puts up a defensive mode where the person feels safe by lashing out at the situation rather than calming down.
1.2. Flight Mode
Flight mode is where the body tries to be defensive by running away from the situation because it feels like it can’t handle it; hence it is safer to run away.
1.3. Freeze Mode
The last mode of physiological reaction is where the victim freezes attentively. The person is aware of the danger and is aware of the need to get away from the situation. This mode merely is where they stay completely stay still and wait to get ready for the next move.
2. How The Body Reacts
There is a deeper level of body reactions when one experiences fear and the need to keep the body safe.
The person exposed to feeling vulnerable isn’t very aware of how their body reacts to dangers that are perceived by one. The dangerous situation in question may not seem to be particularly dangerous, but the person feels it. So they become detached and fail in controlling their body reaction as everything done forth is an act of reflex.
When things are done in a reflex, it can get hard to identify the action before it’s already done. The person may fail to bring the reactions in control, and the panic attack skyrockets. The emotional state of the person becomes so extreme that it may feel too much to handle.
How to feel safe in your body but before you get there, you should identify some of the body reactions when the body doesn’t feel safe are:
2.1. Heart
The heart rate of the person when one panics increases trying to send oxygen to muscles, but that cannot be said during a freeze mode as the heart rate can either increase or decrease.
2.2. Lungs
Your breathing becomes shallow as the breathing speed increases to intake more oxygen to regulate the blood. Breath can always be viewed as the first indication one may be having a panic attack.
2.3. Skin
The person’s face may instantly turn pale at the sight of danger, increasing the sense of touch, and goosebumps, and the person may either start to break a sweat or their palms turn cold.
2.4. Eyes And Ears
At the sense of danger, the eyes and ears may start to be hyper-aware of the surroundings. Your peripheral vision starts to increase, allowing a clearer vision of everything around you. Your hearing sense will be at its peak, and it can almost feel like everyone is talking to you.
3. What Does The Body Need To Feel Safe?
Before you answer how to feel safe in your body, you should first identify what your body needs to feel safe. Security is a need we all depend desperately on. Without thinking, we turn toward security because it will make us feel safe and welcome anywhere in the world.
From family to friends to our surroundings, we need a sense of security to live peacefully. If we get a whiff of insecurity, we start to question everything around us, including ourselves. While it is always good to question your friends’ insecurity and surroundings, it is not good to question yourself. A person must always feel at zen with themselves.
We often buy pets to share and receive love, and in turn, it gives a satisfied and great feeling to the person. Loving someone and receiving it back is great, but that has to be attained with the said person too. If one starts to put themselves out there and receives nothing, they will start to question themselves.
A question like ‘Am I good enough?’ will totally wreck a person’s self-esteem, which can cause them to feel detached from the body because the person doesn’t feel confident.
So how to feel safe in your body? The body and the nervous system must stay connected to themselves because that is how they will feel safe in their body. You can’t achieve successful relationships if you don’t connect with the other person or thing. When you feel connected with the other person, you eventually start feeling safe and secure.
The same goes for your body and mind. Connect them both to feel safe and secure within yourself.
4. How To Feel Safe In Your Body?
Any person should make their body feel safe for themselves in any given situation. Feeling unsafe is a luxury one should avoid because we reside in our bodies till our last breath. This body is the one thing that stays with us faithfully, so taking immense care of it and feeling at home must be achieved by all.
Being detached from your body may sometimes feel like the only option you have to numb the pain you feel. But that is not the healthy way to do it. How to feel safe in your body when you are numb to it? That is not how to feel safe in your body.
Everyone has to identify one’s fear and try to pull it out of the roots if they can and find peace.
Numbing the feeling has always seemed like the only way to cope with pain and danger because it seems like there’s no other option left. People should always understand that connectivity is how you grow close to anything. If a person is disconnected from their mind and body, they will eventually lose it.
How to feel safe in your body? So the first step anyone can do to feel safe in their body is to feel connected to it. Doing what makes them feel good, activities that feel at home and satisfied brings smiles to their faces. Here are a few steps as to how to feel safe in your body:
4.1. Gratitude Journal
Maintaining a gratitude journal can help with articulating your thoughts and looking at life with a positive mentality. Getting a gratitude journal and looking at the things you are grateful to have in your life can take a mind shift and help with the negative thoughts in your mind.
Writing down things you are grateful for every day and appreciating them will help you look at your life in a completely different way because you can see the good in it and that you are so lucky to have it. You can always start slow with a journal, like writing three things you are grateful for, and then you can slowly build your way up every time you feel like it.
Maintaining a journal has always helped people look at the brighter side and has been proven to affect most of them who have tried it positively. Because identifying them will help you feel loved, which will also help you answer how to feel safe in your body without any negativity.
4.2. Maintain Boundaries
Maintaining boundaries is another thing that people have to be firm on. You can’t hack into a government facility without facing the consequences, and the same rules should be applied to your boundaries.
You are in charge of your life. No one will live your life for you, so when you feel disturbed or violated when someone harms you, it is your responsibility to speak up and state your problem. Nothing is gained by just overthinking what they did, so instead, speak your mind and get the problem solved once and for all.
Replying to people with no is acceptable. When you don’t want to do something, it is okay to say no, but also, you should not feel like you owe an explanation to them. It’s your life, and if you go around explaining to people why you have boundaries, then you will end up questioning your life. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, say no.
Keeping boundaries and keeping them is the best thing you can do for yourself as it will help you feel more like yourself and not be forced to do things you are not comfortable with.
4.3. Self-care
Self-care is the best thing anyone can do for themselves and feel great about it. Being selfish and spending on yourself makes you feel great at the end of the day because you are doing something that makes you and your mind feel great. Self-care will help you to feel comfortable in your skin; therefore, that is one way to achieve how to feel safe in your body.
Taking care of your skin with the usual face mask, weekly body scrub, or just a cup of hot beverage, while you take a hot bath has all the abilities to calm and relax one’s mood.3 Self-care doesn’t just have to be the usual skincare. It can also be baking or watching Netflix or maybe spending yourself at a great spa for the day.
You can do loads of things as your self-care; you can carry out your hobbies that you couldn’t catch up on, maybe some knitting, embroidery, or maybe just a good workout or meditation session.
4.4. Move Your Body
Moving your body can be very therapeutic.
There are many things you can try out, like working out, yoga, or dancing. Listen to your body; let it flow on its own. Some people find that working out helps with their anxiety so that they can try out lots of things.
Working out helps in being aware of your body and its strengths. It will help you in identifying the limits of your body. Understanding them and appreciating them will help you realize that we all have boundaries.
For example, boxing has been known for anger management as you let your body release all that pent-up frustration on a punching bag. This may not be the case for everyone, and that’s what is so great about workouts. You can always pick your favorite and practice it whenever you can. A good yoga session can also help you relax your mind as you can go with a flow that suits you.
Another form of movement that has helped with anxiety is dancing. Dancing is a form of expression. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Letting yourself flow to the music of your preference without anything to stop, you can always loosen yourself.
4.5. Meditate
Meditation is a great brain exercise to bring your concentration to the present and tell yourself to stay in the present, which has helped many people separate their thoughts, letting things be.
Five minutes at any time of the day to take ten deep breaths can make a huge difference. People may find stilling their minds a little different, but a good trick is to concentrate on their breathing which can also help. Meditation can help you become more aware of yourself in your body and make yourself feel safe and comfortable.
How to feel safe in your body? Practicing all these can help make yourself more aware of the things you are comfortable with and eventually feel safe and great in your body and mind as you travel your horizons.
5. Conclusion
Feeling safe in your body is an important aspect of overall well-being and self-confidence. When you’re in doubt about your body, it can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can try to help you feel more comfortable and secure.
Remind yourself that your body is unique and individual, and there is no one-size-fits-all standard of beauty or perfection. Embrace your body as it is and appreciate its functionality and strengths.
Recognize and challenge any negative thoughts or beliefs you have about your body. Replace them with positive affirmations and realistic perspectives. Focus on your body’s capabilities and the things you appreciate about it.
Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or body scans, can help you develop a deeper connection with your body. By tuning into your body’s sensations and being present at the moment, you can cultivate a greater sense of appreciation and acceptance.
If your doubts about your body persist and significantly impact your mental health and daily life, consider seeking support from a therapist or counselor. They can provide guidance, support, and tools to help you navigate and overcome your concerns.
Remember, feeling safe and comfortable in your body is a journey, and it may take time. Be patient with yourself, practice self-compassion, and celebrate small victories along the way.
FAQs
1. Why do I sometimes feel disconnected from my body?
A. Feeling disconnected from your body can happen due to various reasons, such as stress, trauma, or negative body image. It’s important to identify the underlying causes and consider seeking support from a therapist or counselor who can help you explore these feelings and develop coping strategies.
2. How can I address feelings of doubt about my body’s capabilities?
A. When you doubt your body’s capabilities, it can be helpful to set realistic goals and celebrate small achievements. Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage and validate your efforts. Engaging in regular physical activity that you enjoy can also help you develop a positive relationship with your body.
3. Should I seek professional help if I’m struggling to feel safe in my body?
A. If you’re finding it challenging to feel safe in your body despite your best efforts, seeking professional help from a therapist, counselor, or healthcare provider is a wise decision. They can provide guidance tailored to your specific situation and help you develop strategies to improve your relationship with your body.
Read more
- Richardson, Caroline R., et al. “Integrating physical activity into mental health services for persons with serious mental illness.” Psychiatric services 56.3 (2005): 324-331. ↩︎
- Jänig, Wilfrid. “Sympathetic nervous system and inflammation: a conceptual view.” Autonomic Neuroscience 182 (2014): 4-14. ↩︎
- Thayer, Robert E. The origin of everyday moods: Managing energy, tension, and stress. Oxford University Press, USA, 1996. ↩︎
Last Updated on by ayeshayusuf
Author
