Use your body, not just your mind, for a mood boost.
Have you ever felt like you were drowning in feelings of loneliness and isolation… or that a wave of anger or anxiety hijacked your entire being? In those moments, it’s easy to believe that you’ll feel that way forever. The pain feels thick. The emotions seem like they will never pass. But the truth is that every emotion is energy in motion, and they do pass. And once we understand how to move that energy—especially through the body, we begin to reclaim power over our inner mental and physical state.
One of the most overlooked methods for emotional regulation is in the BODY. We are often told to “talk about your feelings”, but as Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” If you’re spinning in anxiety, anger, loneliness, and isolation, trying to mentally analyze your way out will only deepen the spiral.
So what do you do instead? You move. You breathe. You crisscross. You reset your nervous system.
3 Embodied Tips and Advice to Shift Your State from Lonely and Depressed to Centered
Here are three body (somatic) tools I often share with clients to shift their emotional state, especially when it feels like the sadness, fear, or anger is too big to handle.
1. Dance + Music = Mood Magic
It sounds simple… because it is. Movement paired with music activates dopamine, shifts your posture, regulates your breathing, and re-patterns your energy field. I’ll never forget a night I felt completely broken—newly an empty nester, painfully lonely, spiraling into hopelessness. I called a friend, begging her to come over. While waiting, I put on a song I loved and just started jumping, dancing, singing. Within minutes, my mood completely shifted.
I beg you to make a “break-the-spiral” playlist with 3–5 songs that make you feel energized or hopeful. It’s hard to do it when you are low, so make it now. When feel bad, start with 1 minute of stillness, honoring your emotion. Then hit play, move your body, and let the rhythm rewire your state.
2. Breathwork to Break the Cycle
Dynamic breathwork is a powerful way to release stuck emotion and reset your nervous system. When you breathe in rhythmic patterns, you override the default stress loop of the brain. Try this simple 3-round sequence:
- Round 1: Inhale for 2 counts through the nose, exhale 2 counts through the mouth — 30 breaths. Then, hold your breath on an inhale as long as possible.
- Round 2: Same rhythm, 40 breaths, hold breath after inhale again.
- Round 3: Inhale/exhale quickly (1 count each) — 50 breaths, then hold.
Note: Always practice seated or lying down, never while driving or in water.
After just 3 rounds, you’ll likely feel lighter, clearer, and more connected to yourself.
3. Cross-Body Movement to Calm and Center
These movements can literally rewire your nervous system’s response to stress:
- March in place, tapping your left knee with your right hand and right knee with your left hand for 3 minutes.
- Qi Gong swing: Let your arms swing side to side, lightly tapping the opposite side of your body.
- Butterfly tapping: Cross your arms over your chest and gently tap your shoulders or collarbones with opposite hands, alternating left/right.
The Science of Cross-Body Movement
Cross-body movement—also called bilateral stimulation—involves the intentional use of opposite sides of the body in rhythmic or alternating ways. This can include simple movements like walking, tapping your left and right arms, or even eye movements that shift left to right. Why does this matter?
Research has shown that these movements:
- Help calm the amygdala (the brain’s fear center)
- Promote integration between the left and right hemispheres of the brain
- Assist in emotional processing and regulation
- Activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you move from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest
You’ve likely heard of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a therapy for trauma that uses bilateral stimulation (like moving the eyes left and right) to help people reprocess distressing memories. But this concept doesn’t have to be limited to formal therapy—it can be part of your self-care.
These practices work by re-integrating the brain hemispheres and settling the nervous system. They’re simple enough to do at your desk, in your car, or in a moment of emotional overwhelm.
Let Your Body Lead the Way
When we are emotionally dysregulated—grieving, angry, anxious—the last thing we want is to take action. These feelings leave you feeling drained and lifeless. But that’s exactly when we need to move most. Not to bypass or ignore our pain, but to help it move through. And once we move these emotions, we become willing to initiate connections with people in your life because we gain a sense of connection with ourself.
Emotions don’t have to hijack your week. With the right tools, you can honor what you’re feeling, then shift your state in minutes—not days.
So, next time you feel stuck in the mud of sadness, anger, or fear—don’t overthink it. Just start moving. Let your body do what it’s designed to do: move energy, express emotion, and restore balance.
Need support? Sign up for my free guided breathwork and meditation library at https://breathbodyconnection.com/breathe
