Mindfulness: How you can move from your Head into Your Body

We spend so much of my day inside our heads—planning, replaying conversations, managing sensory overwhelm—and I know I’m not alone. As a neurodivergent psychotherapist, I’ve learned that true clarity and calm comes when we pause our busy minds and reconnect with the wisdom of our body's. Here’s how I practise mindfulness to step out of my thoughts and into my lived, embodied experience.

Why We Get Stuck in Our Heads

For me (and many autistic or ADHD adults), the brain can feel like a runaway train:

• Racing thoughts about “what if” scenarios

• Hyper-focus on tasks that spiral into perfectionism

• Constant mental chatter that never seems to stop

When my mind’s hamster wheel speeds up, my body tenses—shoulders hike, jaw clenches, breath becomes shallow. I learned that if I want to truly unwind, I need to anchor myself here and now, in skin and bone, not in looping thoughts.

My Core Embodiment Practices

These simple, sensory-rich exercises shift me out of mental loops and back into my body’s natural rhythm. I invite you to try them alongside me.

1. Three-Minute Body Scan

• I settle into a chair or lie down, feet on the ground.

• I close—or softly lower—my eyes and take three slow breaths.

• I bring gentle attention, from toes → calves → hips → torso → shoulders → neck → head.

• At each spot, I notice tension, warmth or tingling—then I breathe into it.

Therapeutic benefit: I heighten interoceptive awareness and dissolve invisible knots of stress.

2. Five-Sense Grounding

• I name 5 things I see around me.

• I touch 4 textures (soft blanket, smooth mug, my own skin).

• I list 3 sounds (birds, my breath, distant traffic).

• I notice 2 scents (tea, soap).

• I taste one thing (sip water or a mint).

Therapeutic benefit: Fully engaging my senses halts runaway anxiety and roots me in the present.

3. Shake-It-Off Reset

• I stand with feet hip-width apart.

• I let my arms shake loose, then my shoulders, torso and legs follow.

• I continue for 30–60 seconds or until I feel tension drain away.

Therapeutic benefit: I discharge stored adrenaline, shift energy, and invite fluid movement back into my cells.

How Mindfulness Feels in My Nervous System

Each time I practise these exercises:

• My breath deepens

• My heart rate steadies

• My inner critic quiets

• I sense space between thought and reaction

That pause is pure freedom. I can choose curiosity over worry, tenderness over self-judgement, connection over isolation.

Bringing Embodiment into Everyday Moments

It doesn’t need to be a 30-minute ritual. Here’s how I weave these tools into daily life:

• During screen breaks: I pause with a one-minute body scan.

• When I feel stuck on email: I rise, do a quick shake-it-off reset.

• In conversation stress: I press fingertips to my sternum and take three grounding breaths.

• Before bed: I consciously, take time to do a quick body scan and notice the sensations, breathing into each part.

These micro-moments accumulate into lasting calm and clarity.

Your Next Steps

I encourage you to pick one exercise above and try it right now. Notice how your body—and your mind—responds. If you’d like personalised support, I offer neuro-affirming, trauma-informed sessions that integrate mindfulness, EMDR and Hypno-CBT to help you find your most grounded, confident self.

Ready to step out of your head and into your body? Let’s connect: http://www.ClearyCounselling.co.uk/contact.