Sitting With Feelings in the Body

Sometimes feelings don’t just sit in our head — they show up in our body. Tight chest, tense shoulders, heavy stomach, buzzing under your skin… emotions live there, quietly (or loudly), asking for our attention. When we’re overwhelmed, our first instinct is often to run, distract, or push it down. What if, instead, we turned toward it — slowly, kindly, and with curiosity?

Here’s a soft, step-by-step way to help you sit with feelings in your body, one moment at a time. Not to fix or force them away, but to make space for what’s here — and what it might be trying to say.

1. Notice Without Judgment

Pause. Take a breath. Gently scan your body.

Ask yourself:

“What am I feeling, and where do I feel it?”

You might notice:

• a hollow ache in the chest

• a lump in the throat

• heaviness behind the eyes

• a foggy, disconnected feeling

Whatever you notice — just name it. Like:

“There’s a tightness in my chest.”

“My shoulders feel heavy.”

This isn’t about fixing. Just noticing.

2. Get Curious, Not Critical

Bring some curiosity to the feeling.

Ask yourself:

“What is this trying to tell me?”

“What does this part of me need right now?”

Try to listen like you would to a friend who’s having a hard time.

3. Breathe Into It

Try breathing into the feeling — not to get rid of it, but to give it space.

Inhale slowly…

Exhale gently…

Imagine each breath making room for the feeling, softening the edges.

4. Speak to It Kindly

Try saying something soft to the feeling inside you, like:

“I see you. I’m here with you.”

“Loneliness, I feel you. You’re allowed to be here.”

This is how we give ourselves the connection we’re longing for — starting from the inside.

5. Let It Move

Feelings are energy. They want to move.

Let the emotion flow through by:

• Stretching or moving your body

• Journaling

• Crying (yes, crying counts)

• Taking a walk and letting your thoughts breathe

Sometimes, emotions move through us once they feel safe enough to be felt. Even 2–3 minutes of this can shift things.

6. Reach Out (If You Want To)

If it feels right, text a friend, talk to someone, or even just be in a shared space — a café, a park, wherever there’s life.

And if not today — that’s okay too. The first connection you make is with yourself.

Final Reminder

You are not broken for feeling lonely.

You are not weak for having emotions show up in your body.

You are deeply, beautifully human.