6 exercises to stop somatizing, explained

On many occasions, the body sends us signals that something is wrong. Our stomach hurts, we feel nauseous, we have tremors... and, apparently, there is no medical problem.

But there are problems. We feel so much psychological discomfort that it has been transferred to our body in the form of physical symptoms. We know this as somatizing and it is a very common phenomenon.

Since many people suffer from these symptoms, not a few they wonder what exercises to stop somatizing they can do. Here we will see a list of some of them, very useful and easy to incorporate into our day to day.

• Related article: "Psychosomatic disorders: causes, symptoms and treatment"

Recommended exercises to stop somatizing and feel better

Somatizing is turning our psychological problems into organic symptoms, that is, it is the physical expression of psychological discomfort. The mind and the body are closely related and, as much as it may be difficult for some to understand, if we do not take care of our psyche, our body will be seriously damaged.

Stress, tension and any negative emotion sustained for a long time causes our immune system to suffer., making us prone to illness and other medical problems.

When we somatize we feel stomach pains, nausea, headaches, migraines and even vomiting. Our defenses are weakened and there are changes in the secretion of hormones and metabolic processes. Of course, psychological problems can cause us a lot of organic damage and it is for this reason so important to learn to manage our emotions, going to a professional but, also, incorporating exercises to stop somatizing.

1. Recognize negative emotions

A stomach ache or nausea are very easy symptoms to feel, in the sense that, when they occur, we are well aware that we are suffering from them. When they do not go away in any way and have no obvious medical cause, such as an infection or other illness, there is most likely an underlying psychological problem. It is not going to disappear because we try to pass time; what you have to do is identify what negative emotion is behind our organic discomfort.

The help of a psychologist will never be expendable. Going to a mental health professional can help us a lot to introspect and see the origins of our discomfort. However, we can move a little on our own by stopping to think about what really makes us feel this way. Recognizing negative emotions is the first step to feeling better

Once the emotion is recognized, we will write it down on paper, describing everything that is related to it: our past experiences, what physical symptoms it causes us, how it appears in our mind (obsession, anxiety, fear ...) and we will do something as simple as saying it out loud high. We will mention it, being clear about what it is and what it is not, without ambiguity. This is the maximum time that we are going to let him occupy in our lives, nothing more. Having said everything, we will try to focus on the tasks that we have to do.

By doing this exercise, we may come up with possible rational solutions to the problem on our own. It is fine that, as long as they are not harmful to us or others, we try to apply them. Also, in case we are going to the psychologist, comment on them to see what guidelines he considers we should take. All of this is the first step in reducing our somatization.

2. Take care of the physical and move

As we have said, the relationship between mind and body is close, and also two-way. Whether we take care of the mind or the body we benefit both. This is why it is so important to take care of the physical and move. By this we do not mean to boast of physical appearance, but take care of our body by eating a healthy and rich diet, doing sports, not using tobacco or abusing alcohol and avoid, in essence, any factor that harms our body.

While playing sports does not cure depression or anxiety as many people believe, it does reduce symptoms of these problems, in addition to being the push to take a more optimistic view of the life. Be that as it may, when exercising endorphins and other neurochemical substances are released that increase our psychological well-being and, consequently, reduce somatization. Any physical activity will help us to have a better quality of sleep and will improve our immunity against diseases.

3. Control breathing

Breathing exercises are a classic in psychological practice. Controlling the way we breathe helps us relax and keep anxiety under control.

A good controlled breathing exercise consists of put one hand on the abdomen and the other on the chest, inhaling and holding the air for 7 seconds, we breathe out slowly for 8 seconds and notice how we slowly contract the abdominal muscles. This respiratory cycle will be done every 10 seconds, with about 6 breaths per minute.

4. Yoga and relaxation

Another classic. Some may not do much, but there are not a few psychologists who recommend their patients attend a yoga course or do it at home by watching tutorials on the Internet. Leaving aside the esoteric part of this practice, the truth is that yoga is a good exercise to reduce anxiety and, as a positive side effect, its somatic effects.

Another alternative is relaxation techniques, very recurrent in psychology.. Some of the most used are the Jakobson relaxation technique or the body scan. These techniques consist of paying attention to each part of the body, being aware of its sensations, position, posture, temperature and other associated aspects. There are many resources that teach these practices in depth.

• You may be interested in: "What is Mindfulness? The 7 answers to your questions "

5. Listen and make music

It seems like a no-brainer, but it's still not bad to state it. When we listen to music that we like, dopamine production increases, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasurable sensations, and cortisone, which is the stress hormone, is reduced. Music can greatly improve our mood, whether it is our favorite music, although ambient and New Age are quite good options. If what we want is to be energetic, music with fast rhythms, such as that used in Fitness sessions, is ideal.

But not only listening to it helps us to somatize less. If we know how to play an instrument, even if it is the flute that they made us play at school, it is a very good way to de-stress. Creating music, being creative and enjoying it are good reducers of our psychological problems, since they encourage us and make us detach our attention from all the physical symptoms associated with they.

6. Shout out

Sometimes all we need is a good scream. We release all the energy that we have accumulated, which is eating us inside. Shouting is a good option, as long as it is done in a place like a mountain, in the middle of the field or in a place enabled for it. The grace is in releasing everything that we consider to be the psychological origin of our physical discomfort, although, of course, it will not be fixed by magic. It would be a more "powerful" version of point 1.

With yelling you should not think that we are recommending yelling at those people who we believe are the cause of our discomfort. That is not the way to fix the problems we may have with them. By doing that, what we are going to generate is more tension and relational problems, which will increase our discomfort and, consequently, our somatization. Shouting should be done towards nothingness, towards a place where we want our problems to stop and disappear, to leave us alone.

Bibliographic references:

• Martínez-González, L., Olvera-Villanueva, G. and Villarreal-Ríos, E. (2018). Effect of the deep breathing technique on the level of anxiety in older adults. Revista de Enfermería del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 26 (2): 99-104.
• Dreeben, Samuel & Mamberg, Michelle & Salmon, Paul. (2013). The MBSR body scan in clinical practice. Mindfulness. 4. 394-401. 10.1007 / s12671-013-0212-z.