Can Noticing The Sensations In Your Body Reduce Stress and Anxiety?

Did you know that one of the best ways to lower anxiety is to practice interoception; the skill of paying attention to the sensations in your body?

This simple practice of shifting your awareness from your mind to your body can calm your nervous system and reduce ruminating thoughts and anxiety. It also strengthens a part of your brain called the insula which is the center of the mind/body/brain connection. This center shares information about our sensations and emotions with the decision making areas of the brain so that we can respond to the moment at hand with both our physical and emotional bodies in mind. The insula is also the center of your brain that governs empathy and self-agency, facilitating deeper connections and a greater sense of personal power.

This week in Your Brain on Mindfulness, we started exploring this powerful practice and here's how it's been making it's way into my own life:

I joined a women's leadership program this January. It was a totally spontaneous decision based on my annual new year’s reflection which resulted in my intention to:

• Receive facilitation and support for my own personal growth

• Expand my communities and deepen personal connections

• Build confidence in the face of challenges 

• Strengthen my personal commitment to self-care

• Increase self-agency

And of course, practically moments after finding clarity around these intentions the leadership program dropped into my lap. 


Each month we explore a new topic and February is SOVEREIGNTY. How’s that for starting out strong? And as I’ve followed my own exploration it occurred to me that it’s really the same concept I teach in Your Brain on Mindfulness which I refer to as AGENCY; an internal sensation of having power over oneself or self-governance.

This month I’ve been reflecting on where I give that agency (or sovereignty) away and why. What I discovered is that it’s generally related to fear. When we’re afraid we shift into our sympathetic nervous system often referred to as our fight/flight/freeze response. We all respond to fear in different ways depending on the situation and our own temperaments and past experiences. My personal tendency is to shrink. I’m much more of a flight/freeze person than a fight person. The thing is, I don’t always realize I’m in fight/flight/freeze. I just suddenly can’t quite orient from my own inner compass. And when that happens, I can feel a sense of powerlessness and even shame for not being as “strong” as I think I should be. What a revelation to realize that, OF COURSE I’M DISORIENTED. That’s the nature of being in your sympathetic nervous system. Physiologically, your vision narrows, mentally your mind gets foggy, and emotionally you’re dysregulated. In other words, you absolutely cannot respond from your center with a clear perspective. No one navigates well from their sympathetic nervous system - it’s literally impossible! Whew! What a relief to make that connection. Self-compassion reigns once again! 

Cue interoception and the original question: Can noticing the sensations in your body really lower stress?

The answer is definitively YES!

Among other things, when we practice interoception we improve our vagal tone and strengthen the insula. In other words, our rest/digest system gets stronger and our fight/flight/freeze response gets less sensitive, giving us more access to our inner compass. When we can take greater control of our nervous system, we have more agency, more sovereignty, and more presence of mind.

Here are just a few more of the benefits of interoceptive awareness:

• Improves the flow of information between your body/mind/brain

• Improves your ability to feel what's happening in your body and respond to its needs in the moment

• Improves emotional regulation (ability to respond appropriately to stressors without overreacting)

• Increases self-agency and empathy

• Helps us feel more connected to ourselves and others

I'd love to help you explore this concept and I've got two great options:


1. Listen to this audio meditation that will help you shift your awareness from thoughts to physical sensations, decreasing stress as you practice interoception. 

2. My Costa Rica Retreat with Beck Shattles where you'll have non-stop opportunities to dive into the sensory extravaganza that is the Osa Peninsula. Your pleasure centers will be on overdrive as you take in the sights, sounds, smells and textures of this oceanside, jungle, wonderland.


As always, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you're doing and if I can answer any questions.


Much love,


Rachel