The power of the pause

Somatic therapist Fiona L Smith shares the important element that our bodies quietly ask for - pause, and discusses the power of it.

Images: Unsplash

Text: Fiona L Smith

As the year draws to a close and the nights lengthen, many of us speed up just as nature slows down. Work deadlines and social commitments stack up while our bodies quietly start to ask for something else: rest and recovery.

This mismatch between what our biology needs in the colder months and what modern life demands is one reason so many people end the year feeling run-down. The immune and stress responses are closely linked and, when we’re under pressure for too long, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline suppress immune function; the body shifts into survival mode, diverting energy from repair and regeneration towards simply coping.

So, what if the “seasonal flu” or constant fatigue we associate with winter isn’t random at all, but our body’s way of showing that it’s overloaded and overstretched? That it’s time to pause, rather than keep pushing through?

Peter Levine defines trauma as ‘too much, too fast, too soon’ or ‘too little, for too long.’ Whilst our winter schedules aren’t traumatic, they can still push the body to extremes.

In somatic terms, regulation is the art of listening to the body and understanding what it’s signalling; learning when to slow down, how to settle and what brings you back into balance. Without that awareness, stress quietly accumulates under the surface and becomes chronic, showing up as irritability, anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep or tension.

The good news is that our bodies already know how to recover. Somatic practices help us access that intelligence through small, consistent pauses that reset the nervous system. We need ways to come out of the hectic fight-flight of constant busyness and restore connection and calm. Here are three simple tools I use every day to help clients – and myself – restore balance and resilience.

1. The physiological sigh: your body’s built-in reset

Inhale fully through the nose, take a second short in-breath, then exhale slowly through the mouth through an invisible straw or as a sigh. The extended exhale activates the parasympathetic vagus nerve, lowering heart rate and blood pressure and signalling safety to the brain.

Just one or two of these breaths can interrupt a stress spiral. After you do this practice, pause and notice what happens – perhaps your shoulders drop, your jaw softens or your mind becomes clearer. Try this before a meeting, in traffic, if a social space feels “too much” or any time you feel overwhelmed.

2. Grounding and orientating: finding safety in the here and now

When we get overwhelmed, the body and mind often disconnect from the present as we spiral into our to-do list or what went wrong earlier: Orientating brings us back. Start by noticing your contact with gravity: the sensation of your feet on the floor and the support of the chair if you’re sitting. Then, gently move your head, looking around the space – above, below, behind and in front. Name what you see and notice the colours, shapes and light.

The orientating response is hard-wired into our nervous system. Animals use it to check for safety; we can use it to re-establish presence. Orientating on entering a busy social space or after a long stretch at the computer helps the body remember that, right now you’re here and you’re okay. It’s a quiet recalibration that releases tension and restores perspective.

3. Fascial shaking: releasing what the body holds

When under stress, the body contracts. Fascia – the connective tissue that envelops every cell, muscle and organ – can become dense and rigid or stuck in patterns. Shaking helps release that stored tension and restore flow.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft. Begin to gently bounce, letting the movement start in your ankles and knees and rise through your body. Allow your shoulders, arms, wrists and even your face to shake, as though you’re bouncing on a trampoline without leaving the ground. As you shake, let the jaw go and allow any sound that wants to happen. Just two minutes can discharge a surprising amount of stress and leave you feeling lighter, clearer and more connected.

As nature slows down, build in these micro-pauses to allow both movement and rest. Our immune system thrives when the nervous system is regulated and we feel safe and steady. The power of pausing isn’t about stopping – it’s about noticing what the body needs and punctuating our days with moments of recovery.

When we give ourselves permission to pause, we don’t lose momentum – we gain capacity. And that’s what allows us not just to get through winter, but to move through it with vitality and ease.