Movement

Movement grounding exercises are activities that increase our connection to our body, grow awareness of our physical sensations, and create a sense of calm and focus. These exercises are particularly helpful when the gender dysphoria is making us anxious or on edge. Moving our body around helps to release some of this anxious energy.

Movement grounding helps us cope with the energy of gender dysphoria by a combo of focused attention and thoughtful movement. It works like this:

• Attention and Focus: These movement exercises ask you to pay close attention to the movement of your body, the way it feels, and the sensations created.
• Moving Your Body: Moving your body requires you to focus on what you are doing with your body, rather than on what the gender dysphoria is trying to tell you.
• Brain Regulation: Grounding exercises can help regulate the autonomic nervous system, which is your brain’s control center that tells your body to be anxious or calm. Deliberate movements like stretching or wiggling tell this part of your brain that you are okay and in control. This shuts down the “freak out” side of your brain and promotes the release of calming hormones.

If your mind starts to wander during the movement exercises, gently bring your focus back to the movement of your body. The more you practice these movement exercises, the better you’ll become at staying present and connected to your body!