Sign Up ans Stay Connected
Private Area
Healing trauma
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Trauma Lives in the Body: How to Gently Work Through It
On Nervous Exhaustion
With everything that’s been happening — emigration, armed conflicts, financial difficulties, bureaucracy, caring for elderly parents — I, like many others, periodically find myself in a state of nervous exhaustion. I’m a living person, after all.
As a somatic therapist, I regularly work with people in a similar state. I deeply understand what they’re going through, because I’ve been there myself. And I want to share what I believe is important about this state — perhaps it will help you treat yourself with a little more care.
First of all, nervous exhaustion is not a breakdown. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It’s not a diagnosis and not a sign of “mental weakness.” It’s a natural reaction of a body that has been mobilized for too long. You are not lazy, a failure, or weak-willed. You are simply a person going through a difficult time. And it’s not forever.
Speed is not the main virtue. In a state of exhaustion, the best thing you can do is not interfere with your body and mind slowing down. You don’t need to keep running on willpower. This isn’t a marathon where the one who pushes through wins. Here, the one who stops in time and recovers is the winner.
It’s important not to blame yourself. You might not be able to “work at 100%,” “be productive,” or “be like before.” And that’s okay. It’s normal not to be at your peak. It’s normal to struggle. In hard times, it’s normal to lower the bar, choose only the most important things, and let go of the rest.
Simple things truly help. The body loves predictability and rhythm — just like in kindergarten. Waking up at the same time, having small rituals (tea in the evening, the same show every Friday, a walk at a set time) provide a sense of stability and help the system hold together. Even a short “It’s okay, we’re home” is already a step toward recovery.
Now is not the time for “hard work on yourself.” When your nervous system is at its limit, it’s not the moment for self-improvement. This is the time when 10 minutes a day of breathing, relaxing your face, or simply “listening to yourself” is more than enough. This is an investment in coming back to yourself.
And one more important thing. If it feels like “there is no future,” it’s not because it has truly disappeared. It’s just that your nervous system can’t see it right now. Try to draw at least a tiny beacon ahead — plan something good. For next week. Next month. In six months. It works.
I know there are no universal recipes. But if you’re reading this and feeling unwell — please, don’t scold yourself. That only adds fuel to the fire. This state is temporary. You are not broken. You are living in a challenging time and you keep going, day after day. And that already means a lot.
If you’d like, share in the comments — what helps you hold on? What rituals or simple things help you keep from falling apart?
Hugs to everyone who’s also going through a hard time right now.
Somatic Experiencing Session: Healing Trauma Through the Body
350 Israeli new shekels
Many people come to therapy with the feeling: “I’ve already understood so much, processed so much, invested so much — so why won’t my body let go?” And it’s a fair question. Because trauma is not just a memory that can be acknowledged and released.
As modern neuropsychology and research in body-based therapies show, traumatic experience is imprinted not primarily in words, but in the body. When a person faces a threat — whether real or subjectively overwhelming — rational thinking switches off, and ancient automatic survival mechanisms take over. Fight, flight, freeze, submit, cry for help — these strategies are activated at the level of the nervous system If, at the moment of trauma, the survival response couldn’t be completed (for example, you couldn’t run away or call for help), the body can “get stuck” in that state.
The brain stays in survival mode, and the body remains ready for danger — even years later. That’s why symptoms often persist: chronic tension, anxiety, difficulties in relationships, bodily pain, panic, self-criticism.
Talk therapy alone may not be enough. The body needs a different language — sensations, movement, breath. Through gentle, mindful bodywork, it’s possible to gradually restore a sense of safety and stability, to allow yourself to feel and to live differently.
If you’d like to explore and gently work through traumatic experiences, I invite you to book an individual session.
What is personal trauma?
Personal (emotional) trauma is an individual's response to a lived experience that has left a deep imprint on their body, emotions, and mental state. Trauma can result from singular events (such as an accident or the loss of a loved one) or prolonged exposure to negative factors (like family stress or emotional and physical abuse). Trauma arises when an event overwhelms a person's ability to cope.
On a physical level, trauma often manifests as chronic muscle tension, disrupted breathing, and movement restrictions. The Feldenkrais Method and Hanna Somatics view the body as an integral part of our lived experience, offering movement practices and mindfulness techniques to help release the body and mind from the lingering effects of trauma.
How Does Trauma Harm an Individual? Trauma impacts all levels of a person’s being: physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual.
Physical Harm:
-
Chronic tension and disruptions in body awareness.
-
Movement restrictions that cause pain and discomfort.
-
Impaired breathing and overall body tension.
Emotional Harm:
-
Difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions.
-
A predominance of “negative” emotions, such as anger, shame, and helplessness.
-
Persistent feelings of anxiety or internal tension.
Mental Harm:
-
Black-and-white thinking patterns.
-
A distorted belief system about oneself and the world.
Social Harm:
-
Challenges in forming close relationships.
-
Feelings of isolation and difficulties in trusting others.
Spiritual Harm:
-
Loss of trust in others and the world at large.
-
A diminished sense of life purpose.
-
Loss of a sense of wholeness and connection with oneself.
Somatic exercises based on the Feldenkrais Method, Hanna Somatics, and Somatic Experiencing offer gentle yet effective tools for restoring bodily integrity and harmony between the body and mind.
How Can Trauma Be Treated? Modern approaches to trauma treatment emphasize the importance of working with the body. Through embodied practices, individuals can restore mindfulness and "rewrite" traumatic experiences. Somatic exercises developed within the frameworks of Somatic Experiencing, Hanna Somatics, and the Feldenkrais Method are powerful tools for body-based healing. These body movement practices gently restore natural movement patterns, bringing back freedom and ease.
Here’s how they work:
-
Release body tension. Gentle, mindful movements help muscles and the nervous system let go of chronic tension.
-
Reconnect body and mind. Exercises restore the ability to experience the body as a unified whole.
-
Rewrite traumatic experiences. Through conscious movement, individuals learn to respond to stress more harmoniously.
By combining these approaches in individual sessions, we create a safe and effective path to healing, helping you regain wholeness, balance, and a renewed sense of self.