How to Build a Somatic Daily Routine to Ease Stress and Decrease Overwhelm
By Melody Wright, LMFT
“Buzzzz!” The alarm goes off. Another day begins, and you’re already counting down the hours until you can crawl back into bed.
Between work demands, rising costs, the heaviness of the news cycle, and the constant juggling of your family’s needs, your mind feels scattered, and your body is worn out.
Sound familiar?
“In the world we’re living in, overwhelm feels like it has become a baseline for the average American.”
We are under constant pressure to do more, respond faster, and hold it all together, even when it feels like too much.
We’ve gotten so used to pushing through that we’ve stopped listening to what our brain and body are trying to tell us, and then wonder why we feel so drained, disconnected, and run down.
However, overwhelm isn’t just about having too much on your plate.
It’s something your whole system feels…mentally, emotionally, and physically.
And when we slow down enough to understand what’s underneath it, we can start responding with intention instead of just coping.
Understanding Overwhelm: What is Your Body Trying to Tell You?
I used to wonder why simple things felt so hard.
Why getting through the day left me feeling drained, scattered, or numb…even when nothing “big” had happened.
What I didn’t realize then is that overwhelm isn’t just about having too much to do.
It’s what happens when my nervous system is carrying more than it has the capacity to hold.
The stress I felt wasn’t just in my mind; it was in my body, too.
I’ve learned that overwhelm can show up in a lot of different ways:
🌿 Anxiety – Your body is on high alert, anticipating what might go wrong. Your thoughts race, your breath shortens, and you can’t seem to slow down.
🌿 Depression – Everything feels heavy, even simple tasks. It’s hard to find momentum, and rest never feels quite restorative.
🌿 Unprocessed trauma – The nervous system stays stuck in patterns of protection—reacting to stress like it’s still happening, even when life is calm.
🌿 Burnout – Too many responsibilities and not enough recovery time wear down your system until you feel depleted, detached, or irritable.
What I used to see as “not trying hard enough” was really my body trying to protect me.
“Somatic therapy helped me understand that these responses weren’t weaknesses; they were messages.”
They were signals that indicated that I needed more regulation, more rest, more support.
And once I started listening to those signals instead of overriding them, I finally had space to breathe and slowly rebuild my capacity from the inside out.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how I was able to do this.
Spoiler alert! You can keep reading to find out. 😉
Why a Somatic Daily Routine Is Key to Managing Overwhelm
Once I began to understand that my overwhelm was rooted in my nervous system, not just my schedule, I realized I didn’t need more productivity hacks.
I needed more safety.
That’s where building a somatic daily routine came in.
This is not a rigid checklist or a perfectly timed planner, but rather a rhythm in my day I could return to.
I started to learn that predictability isn’t about control, it’s about creating cues of safety.
When my days had a more gentle structure, my nervous system didn’t have to stay on high alert, scanning for what was coming next.
Even simple things, like starting my morning with the same song or ending the day with a warm cup of tea, began to feel like anchors.
Not because they solved everything, but because they gave my body something familiar to lean on.
“What made the difference wasn’t how much I got done, it was how often I slowed down enough to check in with myself.”
That’s the heart of a somatic routine.
It’s not about “doing it right.”
It’s about asking: What helps me feel grounded? What helps me feel safe enough to show up for my life with compassion?
A daily rhythm became my way of practicing care, not control.
And over time, it helped me create more space between the urgency of the world and the steadiness I was learning to build within myself.
If you’re looking for more tips to manage overwhelm and restore focus, check out my blog, 6 Ways to Restore Your Focus By Reconnecting With Yourself.
6 Key Elements of a Body-Based Routine
When I first realized I needed a new kind of daily rhythm, I was already stretched thin.
I didn’t have the energy for a complicated routine or big lifestyle changes.
What I needed were simple, supportive practices that helped my body feel safe, one small moment at a time.
Here are the elements that have made the biggest difference for me, that I now offer to clients who are also learning how to care for their own nervous system.
Start With Grounding, Not Scrolling
For so long, I started my day by checking my phone, messages, news, and social media, and I didn’t realize how quickly that pulled my system into overdrive.
Now, I try to start the morning by grounding first. That might look like:
✔️ Placing a hand on my chest and one on my belly as I breathe
✔️ Gently stretching or swaying before getting out of bed
✔️ Looking around the room and naming what I see (a somatic practice called orienting)
These simple actions tell my nervous system to settle by reminding my body that the day can start with safety, not urgency.
Anchor Your Day With Regulation Breaks
Throughout the day, I build in small moments to pause and check in. I used to push through until I crashed. Now, I try to notice my body before it hits that wall.
A few practices I return to:
✔️ A 3-minute body scan to gently notice where I’m holding tension
✔️ A hand-over-heart pause between tasks
✔️ Looking outside and breathing deeply
These small breaks help my body reset. They remind me I don’t have to stay in survival mode just to keep going.
Move Your Body in Gentle, Consistent Ways
For a long time, I thought movement had to be intense to count. But when I was overwhelmed, those expectations made me freeze.
Somatic movement gave me a new way in. I started moving not to “burn calories,” but to release tension and reconnect with my body.
Some of my favorites:
✔️ Swaying side to side while standing or sitting
✔️ Shaking out my hands or legs to discharge built-up stress
✔️ Going for slow walks without a destination
This kind of movement tells my nervous system: you’re allowed to feel, and you’re safe to move through it.
Prioritize Safety Cues in Your Environment
What surrounds me matters more than I used to realize.
Personally, my body responds to light, sound, texture, and especially clutter.
So I started creating small areas of sensory safety wherever I could, including:
✔️ Soft lighting instead of harsh overhead lights
✔️ Music that calms or comforts me
✔️ Cozy blankets, warm tea, or grounding scents like lavender
✔️ Spaces that feel familiar and welcoming
Even when the outside world feels unpredictable, these little cues help my nervous system remember: I’m okay.
Include Transitions for Emotional Decompression
One of the biggest shifts for me was learning to honor transitions.
Instead of jumping from one role to the next like work, parenting, caretaking, and cleaning, I started giving myself time to shift.
A few practices that help:
✔️ Washing my hands as a symbolic “reset”
✔️ Changing into comfy clothes at the end of the workday
✔️ Taking five minutes to breathe in silence before dinner
✔️ Giving myself permission to release or shake off stress when I move from “doing” to “resting”
These rituals give my system space to release what it’s been holding, and prepare for what’s next without rushing.
End the Day With Co-Regulation or Self-Soothing
At the end of the day, I try to give my body what it’s really asking for, and that can look different every day.
So a part of this end-of-the-day ritual starts with allowing myself to tune in to what I’m needing.
Some evenings, I journal to let my thoughts out. Other nights, I’ll meditate or drink my favorite tea. Other times, I just sit in the quiet and feel the rhythm of my breath.
Sometimes, simply sitting with someone, without needing to say anything, can be enough.
These nighttime rituals help me shift out of “doing mode” and into rest-and-digest, the state where my body can finally exhale.
I often see clients make beautiful progress with their daily rhythms, only to hit a wall they can’t quite name. The overwhelm doesn’t go away, it just shifts.
That’s when we start to look beneath the surface.
Signs Your Overwhelm Is Coming From Trauma, Not Just Stress
Daily rhythms can be incredibly supportive, but for some, they aren’t the whole picture.
Even with grounding practices, nervous system check-ins, and gentle routines in place, sometimes it can still feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water.
And it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.
It’s often because the overwhelm you're experiencing isn’t just about today. It’s about what your body has been holding for far longer than a single day’s stress can explain.
In my work with clients, I’ve noticed that chronic or persistent overwhelm often points to deeper, unresolved needs within the nervous system.
Here are a few patterns I see again and again:
1️⃣ Unprocessed trauma –When the body isn’t able to fully process an experience, it doesn’t just disappear; it often shows up later as patterns like shutdown, hypervigilance, or a persistent sense of unease.
2️⃣ Lack of co-regulation – Many people have gone through life without ever truly feeling emotionally safe with others. Over time, their nervous system adapts, learning to stay alert, self-contained, and always prepared, often at the cost of deep exhaustion.
3️⃣ Emotional suppression or perfectionism – Whether it’s a belief that you have to be “the strong one” or a tendency to downplay your needs, these survival strategies create enormous inner pressure over time. Many times, this stems from growing up with emotionally unavailable caregivers. If you would like to learn more about this, check out my blog, How Growing Up with Emotionally Unavailable Parents Still Affects You and How to Heal.
When these patterns are in place, even a well-structured routine can only go so far. The body needs more than strategies; it needs repair, safety, and connection.
This is where somatic therapy can be so powerful.
Instead of trying to think or talk your way out of overwhelm, when you work with a Somatic Therapist, you work slowly, with the body. Together, you can build the capacity to feel what’s been held back, to rewire survival patterns, and to create a sense of grounded safety from the inside out.
“For many of my clients, this isn’t just about managing stress; it’s about reclaiming access to peace, rest, and emotional presence they didn’t even realize they were missing.”
Because sometimes, overwhelm isn’t something you can organize your way out of.
It’s something that asks to be listened to, held, and healed.
Final Reflections
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s this:
You don’t need to get it all right. You just need to feel safe enough to begin.
The goal isn’t to fix yourself, and it’s not to force structure onto an already stressed-out system.
It’s to offer your body moments of relief, rhythm, and reassurance throughout the day, so you can slowly rebuild capacity from the inside out.
Your routine doesn’t have to be impressive. It just has to be supportive.
That might mean starting the morning with three deep breaths instead of your phone, or pausing for one minute between tasks to feel your feet on the floor.
These moments add up.
They send quiet signals to your nervous system.
Because the more safety we feel, the more capacity we have to care for ourselves, to show up for others, and to meet life’s challenges with steadiness and grace.
You don’t need a perfect routine.
You need a rhythm that honors your humanity, holds your nervous system with care, and gives you space to just be. 💙
This Weeks Affirmations
I don’t have to push through; I can pause and care for myself.
It’s okay to need rest, routine, and regulation.
I am learning to listen to what my body needs.
I don’t need a perfect routine, just one that feels grounding.
I can offer myself gentleness, even when things feel heavy.
Additional Resources
**If you’re interested in learning more about ways to support stress and overwhelm, check out these books below:
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
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