War anxiety and the body

I just read an article* discussing war anxiety and what therapists recommend to help people cope.

Even though the wars are happening relatively far away, the emotional impact can be very real.

Continuous news cycles, disturbing images, uncertainty about the future and a sense of helplessness can leave many people feeling overwhelmed, anxious or constantly on edge.

Therapists in the article recommend a range of helpful strategies:

• regulating your news intake

• focus on what you can control

• understand your nervous system

• practise self-compassion and connection

• seek professional support if needed

These approaches can help us make sense of our feelings and develop coping strategies for difficult emotions.

All of this is valuable. But there is another piece of the puzzle that is often missing from these conversations. And that piece is the body.

I've quoted Bessel van der Kolk, psychotherapist and author of the bestselling book The

Body Keeps the Score, before who said in a lecture:

'Nobody talked you into anxiety, why do you expect you can talk yourself out of it?'

Anxiety doesn’t 'just' live in the mind, although when we feel anxious – be it something personal or world events – it can seem as if the problem is purely mental.

But anxiety is also a physiological response.

Our nervous system reacts to perceived threat, even though that threat comes 'only' through a screen. The body may respond with:

• muscle tension

• shallow breathing

• restlessness

• digestive discomfort

• difficulty sleeping

• a constant sense of alertness

In other words, the body behaves as if it needs to stay prepared for danger.

And this is not a weakness or a flaw, it is a survival response.

Many people try to manage this response only through thinking, talking, analysing, reasoning or trying to distract our minds.

And if that's working, perfect.

But when the nervous system is activated, thinking alone often isn’t enough.

“I felt overwhelmed. After learning TRE, I finally felt calm in my body, something I hadn’t experienced in years.

It’s like pressing the reset button.” David

What's missing is the completing of the stress cycle, the stress response.

All mammals have a natural way of releasing stress from the body - dogs do it beautifully.

After a frightening incident, they shake for a moment, then return calmly to life.

That shaking is not a sign of distress.

It is the body discharging excess stress energy and resetting the nervous system.

“TRE has given me a way to reset my body

when stress builds up. I feel more grounded,

less reactive and I finally know what it means to have a regulated nervous system.” Steph

We humans have the same mechanism, but generally we suppress it.

We've learned to hold ourselves together, to keep a stiff upper lip, to stay composed, to push through – does that sound familiar?

Over time this can turn chronic.

And by the way, only in extreme circumstances our brains can't override the body and you might have seen or experienced wobbly knees after an accident or trembling hands before public speaking, or even post-partum shivers after childbirth.

How TRE can help

This is where TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) comes in.

TRE is an innate, body-based practice that invites the body access its natural tremor or shaking response in a safe and controlled way.

Rather than analysing cognitively, TRE works somatically, i.e. directly with the body.

These involuntary, natural tremors allow the body to release tension and gradually shift the nervous system from a state of hyper-alertness into regulation.

People often report:

• a sense of deep relaxation

• better sleep

• reduced physical tension

• feeling calmer and more grounded

• a quieter mind

Most importantly, TRE does not involve revisiting traumatic events or analysing difficult memories.

TRE is body-led and when guided expertly, happens at a pace that feels safe.

Why this matters in times of global uncertainty

When we are exposed to distressing world events such as war, political instability or humanitarian crises, we can feel powerless.

We cannot control what is happening in the world, but we can support our nervous system.

The strategies suggested by therapists are all important tools.

Adding body-based regulation can make those tools even more effective.

When the nervous system settles, the mind follows.

If current times leave you feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you are certainly not alone, many of my clients feel the same.

"I had been worrying for days about the current situation until I reminded myself that I could simply 'shake it off'. And I did. My worries eased, I felt much calmer and I also enjoyed a really good night's sleep."

Jane

So hopefully it was helpful for you to recognise that anxiety is not only something to 'think through' or 'manage mentally'.

Sometimes the most helpful step is simply to let the body complete the stress response it was designed for.

When the body relaxes and the nervous system settles, clarity, resilience and steadiness can begin to return.

And from that place, it becomes easier to face whatever happens next.

I invite you to get in touch if you'd like to discuss anything.

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*You'll find the article here, it's by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy