Grounded in a Moment: A 3-Minute Somatic Practice for Overwhelm

Grounded in a Moment: A 3-Minute Somatic Practice for Overwhelm

Because sometimes, everything is too much—and you need a way back home to yourself.

Overwhelm doesn’t ask for permission. It crashes in. Fills the room. Floods the body. Makes it hard to think, hard to breathe, hard to be.

In those moments, we don’t need a 10-step plan. We need a pause. A practice. A path back into the present.

Here’s one I return to often—when I feel scattered, flooded, or far from myself. It’s a 3-minute somatic grounding practice that gently reorients your body and nervous system to now. You can do it standing, seated, or lying down.

A 3-Minute Practice to Ground Yourself in the Now

1. Feel Your Feet (30 seconds) Bring your awareness to your feet. Feel where they meet the floor, the socks or shoes around them, the pressure of gravity pulling you down. If you're sitting or lying down, feel into the surfaces that support you—chair, floor, earth. Let your body know: You are supported.

(Try whispering to yourself: “I’m here now.”)

2. Orient with Your Eyes (60 seconds) Gently turn your head side to side, letting your eyes slowly scan the space around you. Notice colors, shapes, light, shadow. Let your eyes settle on something that feels neutral or pleasant: a soft texture, a warm light, something alive.

(If it helps, name a few things you see out loud: “Blue mug. Book spine. Tree through the window.”)

3. Anchor in Sensation (90 seconds) Place one hand over your heart and the other on your belly. Feel the warmth of your own touch. Notice your breath—no need to change it, just meet it. Let your hands be a signal to your nervous system: We’re safe right now. You’re doing okay.

(You might say internally: “I’m allowed to slow down. It’s safe to come back.”)

A Gentle Reminder

Coming back to the body is not about fixing or fleeing the feeling. It’s about offering yourself a hand in the dark. Soften. Settle. Stay a moment longer.

You don’t have to do everything.

You just have to come home to yourself, one breath at a time.