Anxiety and depression are often spoken about as mental or emotional conditions, but at their core, they are deeply physiological experiences. They arise from patterns in the nervous system, the body’s stress response, and learned ways of coping that were once adaptive but may no longer serve us. When the nervous system becomes overwhelmed or shut down, it affects thoughts, mood, behaviour, and even how we experience ourselves and others.

A somatic, body-based approach recognises that anxiety and depression live as much in the felt sense of the body as they do in the mind. Tightness in the chest, a racing heart, shallow breath, heaviness, numbness, or collapse — these are not just symptoms, but part of how the body has learned to manage life’s demands and past experiences.

How Anxiety and Depression Show Up in the Body

Anxiety often reflects a nervous system stuck in activation — the fight or flight response. You may notice:

- Restlessness, tension, or being “on edge”
- Rapid thoughts or difficulty concentrating
- Shifting between avoidance and over-engagement
- Difficulty sleeping or settling
- Depression can reflect a system in shutdown or collapse — the freeze state. You might feel:
- Heavy, tired, or disconnected
- Difficulty getting started or following through
- Numbness or overwhelm
- A sense of isolation or disinterest in things that once mattered

These patterns are not character flaws. They are adaptive responses shaped by stress, environment, and sometimes early life experiences.

How Somatic Work Helps

Somatic therapy supports awareness of the body and nervous system, helping you develop a more regulated internal state. Through gentle, embodied practices, you can:

- Create a sense of internal safety
- Reduce physiological stress and hyperactivation
- Interrupt patterns of collapse and shutdown
- Ground yourself during overwhelming moments
- Develop resilience and emotional flexibility

By working with the body, we create the conditions for the mind to soften, settle, and reorganise.

The Role of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

MBSR is an evidence-based, clinically researched programme developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It integrates mindfulness meditation, gentle movement, and awareness practice. Research consistently shows that MBSR helps lower symptoms of anxiety and depression by strengthening the mind–body connection and building a more stable, regulated internal environment.

When combined with somatic therapy, MBSR can enhance the capacity to be with difficult experiences without becoming overwhelmed, while also supporting a grounded, embodied sense of self.

Moving Toward Ease and Connection

Healing from anxiety and depression is not about forcing positivity or trying to “fix” yourself. It’s about understanding your nervous system, meeting your experiences with compassion, and creating new pathways for regulation and connection.

Somatic work and mindfulness provide practical, embodied tools to help you move out of habitual stress patterns and toward greater ease, resilience, and presence — one small shift at a time.