Get out of your head, and into your body - has anyone understood / mastered that?

[Guest_2496]

I've heard a few psychologists say something like 'you need to get out of your head and into your body'.

As someone who deals with health anxiety, twinges etc in my body often set it off. I don't understand how focusing on my body, especially at those times, would help!

Can anyone explain what this means / whether it has helped them?

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi annie_1,

Thank you for your post and great question. Have I mastered this? No, not at all. But I am trying, so I thought I'd jump in.

Maybe I can try and reframe your psychologists suggestion a little - while I'm not sure what your health anxiety is around, I'll just use a common one of thinking that you're having a heart attack when your heart starts to race randomly.

If I tune into my heart racing, it can get very scary because I'm automatically thinking about the story of it being something terrible. But if I can 'tune into my body', I can try and notice that and sit with it. The thoughts around health anxiety are not from the sensations in our body, but the way we perceive them - so 'getting out of your head' is about focusing more on your body and what it's like for you to experience that.

We also do the same thing after a hard workout- we naturally notice and pay attention to our sore and achy muscles. Or when we wash our hands even, noticing the way our hands go from dirty to clean and moving our fingers with the soap.

I hope that this makes a little sense!

rt

[Guest_2496]

Hi RT and thanks so much for jumping in.

I'm trying to understand, to 'get it'.

The anxiety can be anything - just too much focus / thinking. So for example right now I have a lot of sinus pain and a slight cough. I'm only anxious in case it develops to something like bronchitis..(I know it's not covid, not worried about that) but just feeling generally yuck. So I don't know how to tune into my body and make it alright. This is absolutely not a criticism. I genuinely want to understand and be able to do it.

Other times when I'm perfectly healthy something like a tight muscle can make me anxious and again I'm not sure how getting out of my head and into my body works.

[sunnyl20]

Hi annie_1,

I understand where you're coming from I think (please correct me if I have misread), it can seem really counterintuitive. It is difficult to do and will probably be something to practise and work on, being patient with yourself. I think what you are referring to involves as you say, tuning in to your body - noticing sensations and changes and experiences in your body. If you are open to it, there is an app called The Smiling Mind which can be really helpful in guiding and talking you through different exercises.

I don't think it is a panacea but I think "getting out of your head and into your body" is more about trying to change how you perceive those sensations and changes, and trying not to engage as much with the panicked thoughts - much easier said than done (like so many things). Trying to accept when things feel a bit off or a bit different and trying not to attach as much worry or concern to them, just physically noticing it and accepting. Even viewing yourself from outside your body, or visualizing those anxious thoughts as passing clouds that you are watching go by. It is really difficult to change this type of thinking and to not engage as much with the anxious thoughts, especially if it is how you have thought for a long time. But I believe it can be done.

I hope this helps, sorry if I have waffled a bit - it is an interesting concept.

Take care.

[Guest_2496]

Hi sunnyl20

Yes! It seems counter-intuitive. I've never asked a psychologist what it meant at the time cos I'm sitting there thinking but it's my body that messes my head so that's not going to work ha ha!!

Thanks, I didn't find your reply waffling. It was helpful.

Any and all input helpful!!