Do your symptoms point to what your body has been through?
Body memory
We usually think of memories as what comes to mind when we remember a particular time in our life.
Body memories are different. They are stored in our tissues, and in the ways our bodily systems have adapted.
We can wake up with a symptom today simply because we had the symptom yesterday. The symptom is a memory trace stored in the body tissues.
Body memories can involve the nervous system. For example, when neural pathways do not update after an injury has healed, pain can persist.
The body also holds memory of things that happened to us. Stress or trauma can be stored in the body as tension, and patterns of responding, even after we think we have forgotten, or moved on.
Explore Interactions
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Trauma.
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Bodily stress.
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The predictive brain.
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The sleep-wake cycle.
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Myofascial body armour.
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Exercise and Inflammation.
Doing something different: a short guide
Why?
To update the body memory we must do something different. The body adapts a little every time it experiences something new. Through moving through the world in new ways, the body can transform old patterns of tension and find new freedom and ease.
These principles can guide you to make changes whatever symptoms you are working with, just adapt them to your unique situation:
Commit
Make a plan to practice a new habit, response, or skill for a specific amount of time. Choose based on what you understand about your symptoms. Pick something that matches your current abilities and something you think you’ll enjoy.
For most new habits, it’s good to practice them every day. You can set an alarm or make it part of your daily routine to help you remember. The more you practice, the easier commitment will feel.
Start Low, Go Slow
Once you have decided to do something different, choose a starting point that feels comfortable. Avoid setting expectations too high or pushing too fast. Gradual progress is most effective and sustainable.
e.g. If you are trying to eat more healthily, it is better to start trying to cook one meal a week, and build from there, than it is to try to cook every meal from scratch on day 1.
Work Within the Limits of the Body
These might have changed, especially if you were previously fit and active. As you train, take care to listen to the signals your body is giving you. For example, become aware of your breathing patterns. If you are gasping for breath, slow down a little.
Expanding What Your Body Can Do
The body learns through doing and repeating. If we do something different with our bodies, enough times, this will change the structure and function of the body. When training, avoid overloading yourself by introducing big jumps in exertion, the body adapts best through slow and sustainable progress.
Review
After you’ve practiced your new habit for a while, take a moment to decide if it’s helping you. If you think it’s useful, keep going. Maybe you want to build on what you have learnt and add in something new. If you don’t see any changes, and you have given enough time to have an impact, stop and try something different.
Celebrate small steps
Keeping up with new habits can be tough. You don’t have to make big changes right away; even small steps are good. The important thing is to make some kind of change, no matter how small.
Moving the body is super important in rehabilitation because it helps the body learn new ways of being. When you try different movements, it’s like giving yourself more options to find freedom and ease. This makes change in other areas of life come more easily.
When you’re getting better after an illness or injury, it’s important to focus on movements that make you feel good and help your body relax. Instead of trying to burn calories or meet specific goals, choose exercises that bring comfort and ease to your body.
Support.
Physiotherapists or psychomotor therapists are healthcare professionals who can give you advice on how to update bodily habits in ways that will be most helpful for your symptoms.
Occupational therapists can give you advice on how to structure routines and overcome obstacles to doing things differently.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you reflect on your current automatic responses to illness, and find opportunities to respond differently.
It can be most fun and motivating to create new habits or learn new skills with others.
Most communities will have groups that you can join. Groups might be based around dance, yoga, gardening, walking or other mindful movement practices.
It is important, even within a group, that you move at a pace that allows you to keep awareness of your body and what it needs. You may want to look for groups that are advertised as slow, or restorative, suitable for healing, trauma informed, or suitable for older adults.
When you first attend a group, it is helpful to be brave and speak with the facilitator or leader before you start. You can explain you are recovering from symptoms, and have some current limitations in the body. This will help you not to feel pressured into joining in with movements that are beyond your current limits.
