Gentle Strategies to Encourage Movement During Trauma Recovery
Info from Dr. Gpt
For a client who is deep in trauma work, feeling depressed, unmotivated, and anxious, the suggestion to move their body (like going for a walk) can feel overwhelming or even impossible. The combination of low energy from depression and high tension from anxiety can create a kind of emotional paralysis, making it hard to act on well-meaning advice about physical movement. However, movement can be incredibly helpful for both depression and anxiety, as it helps to regulate the nervous system, but it’s essential to approach it in a way that feels manageable and compassionate.
Here’s some advice tailored to her situation:
1. Acknowledge Her Feelings and Energy Level
First, it’s important to validate her current state. Trauma work is deeply exhausting, both emotionally and physically. Feeling depressed and unmotivated is a common response when doing intense healing work, and she may not have the emotional energy to get up and move right now. Feeling anxious on top of that can make it even harder to know what her body needs or how to motivate herself.
Advice: Acknowledge that her feelings of exhaustion, lack of motivation, and anxiety are real and valid. Trauma work often drains emotional and physical energy, and it’s okay that she doesn’t feel ready to jump into movement or exercise right away.
2. Start Small and Gentle: Micro-Movements
Instead of trying to convince herself to go for a full walk or engage in an intense exercise, she can start with micro-movements or gentle body awareness exercises. This might mean simply standing up and stretching for a minute, rolling her shoulders, or even just moving her fingers and toes. The idea is to introduce small movements that feel manageable, rather than pressuring herself to do something that feels out of reach.
Advice: Encourage her to ask herself, "What’s the smallest movement I can do right now?" It might be standing up, walking to a window and back, or even stretching while sitting. The goal is to start where she is and move gradually, without overwhelming herself.
3. Connect Movement to Emotional Release
Sometimes the idea of physical movement can feel disconnected from emotional work, but movement can be a way to release pent-up emotions from trauma. Rather than thinking of movement as "exercise" or something she has to do, she can reframe it as a gentle release for her body. Trauma is often stored in the body, and even small movements can help discharge tension or emotional energy that’s been held inside.
Advice: Encourage her to see movement as a way to gently release emotional tension, not as a chore or exercise routine. She could try small stretches or movements with the intention of letting go of some of the anxiety or heaviness she’s feeling. For example, she could take a few deep breaths and gently stretch her arms, focusing on releasing the emotional weight with each movement.
4. Break Down the Goal: "Just One Step"
The idea of going for a walk might feel overwhelming, but breaking it down into tiny, manageable steps can help. Instead of focusing on the entire walk, encourage her to focus on just one small action at a time. This could be as simple as putting on her shoes, or walking to the front door and back. If that’s as far as she gets, it’s still a win. Sometimes, starting with one small action can build momentum, but if it doesn’t, that’s okay too.
Advice: Suggest breaking down the goal into the smallest possible steps: "Can you just put on your shoes?" or "Can you walk to the front door?" If she doesn’t feel like going further, she doesn’t have to. Celebrate these small wins, even if they seem insignificant.
5. Engage in Mindful Body Awareness
If even the smallest movements feel difficult, she can start with mindful body awareness. This involves sitting or lying down and simply bringing attention to different parts of her body, noticing sensations without judgment. This can help her reconnect with her body in a gentle way and may help her feel more ready for movement later.
Advice: Guide her to practice mindful body scanning, where she mentally "scans" her body from head to toe, noticing any tension, pain, or ease. This can be done without any movement, but it helps her start to reconnect with her body in a mindful and gentle way.
6. Focus on Self-Compassion Rather Than Motivation
When someone is feeling unmotivated, especially while doing deep trauma work, trying to push oneself can lead to feelings of failure or guilt. Instead of focusing on motivation, help her focus on self-compassion. She is already doing hard emotional work, and her body might not have much extra energy right now. Sometimes rest, gentleness, and compassion are more important than pushing for productivity or movement.
Advice: Encourage her to be kind to herself in this moment. She can remind herself, "I am doing enough, even if I’m not moving much today." If she doesn’t feel up to walking or exercising, that’s okay—resting and healing are part of the process too.
7. Use Breathwork as a Gentle First Step
If she isn’t ready for physical movement, breathwork can be a good starting point. Deep, intentional breathing helps to regulate the nervous system and release some of the tension that comes with anxiety and trauma. Breathwork can also be a precursor to movement, helping her body relax enough to feel safe moving again.
Advice: Teach her simple breathwork techniques, such as box breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) or belly breathing (deep breaths that fill the diaphragm). This can help reduce anxiety and create a sense of calm, potentially leading to a readiness to move later.
8. Incorporate Restorative Movement
If she’s open to some form of movement, restorative practices like gentle yoga or stretching can feel more accessible and less demanding than going for a walk. These movements are slower, mindful, and focused on nurturing the body, which may feel more supportive in her current state of trauma work.
Advice: Suggest she tries restorative yoga or even simple stretches while seated or lying down. The focus here is on gentleness and nurturing, not exertion or productivity. This type of movement is meant to support her emotional and physical well-being.
9. Listen to Her Body and Intuition
It’s crucial that she feels empowered to listen to her body and trust her intuition. If she feels that moving her body will help, she can try small steps. But if she genuinely feels that rest and stillness are what she needs right now, she should honor that. Trauma work is incredibly personal, and sometimes rest is more healing than movement.
Advice: Encourage her to tune in to what her body is telling her, without judgment. If her body says it needs rest, she should honor that need. If her body is asking for movement, she can start small and see how it feels. There’s no right or wrong answer—just what feels right for her at the moment.
Final Thoughts:
Your client’s feelings of depression, anxiety, and lack of motivation are natural responses to the intensity of the trauma work she’s doing. Movement can be helpful, but it’s important to approach it with compassion and gentleness, rather than forcing herself to get up and move when she’s not ready. Starting with micro-movements, breathwork, or simply honoring her need for rest can help her gradually reconnect with her body in a way that feels safe and nurturing. The key is to help her trust herself and take small, compassionate steps, rather than pushing herself into something that feels overwhelming.
