How to Feel Safe in Your Own Body Again After Trauma
- Fika Mental Health
- May 5
- 3 min read
When you’ve lived through trauma, your body can start to feel like the enemy.
The tight chest. The racing heart. The numbness. The sense that something is always “off,” even if you can’t explain it. Your body may not feel like a home—it may feel like a threat.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken. You’re not overreacting. You’re not weak.
You’re responding exactly how a nervous system responds to danger. And now, your healing begins by gently re-learning how to feel safe inside yourself again.
Trauma Doesn’t Just Live in Your Mind—It Lives in Your Body
Many trauma survivors carry their pain in silence. You might look “fine” on the outside while constantly scanning for danger on the inside.
That’s because trauma isn’t just a memory. It’s a felt experience—a wound that changes how your brain and body relate to safety, trust, and presence.
You might feel disconnected or dissociated.
You might overreact to small things and not understand why.
You might feel hyperaware of everything—sounds, people, smells, spaces.
Or you might feel nothing at all, like your body has gone completely offline.
This isn’t a flaw. It’s your nervous system doing what it believes it must do to protect you.
But what helped you survive isn’t always what helps you live. That’s where healing comes in.
What Does It Mean to “Feel Safe” in Your Body?
Feeling safe in your body doesn’t mean you never feel fear, anxiety, or grief. It means you have enough regulation, presence, and support to stay with yourself in those moments.
Safety means:
Trusting your body’s signals instead of fearing them.
Feeling grounded and present, rather than constantly dissociating.
Knowing you can soothe yourself when things get overwhelming.
Feeling like your body belongs to you, not your trauma.
And yes, it’s possible. Even if it’s been a long time. Even if you’ve never known that feeling before.
How to Feel Safe With Your Body After Trauma
Start small—and go slow. Trauma healing is not about forcing your way through pain. It’s about reintroducing safety in small doses. Even something as simple as feeling your feet on the ground can be a powerful step.
Practice grounding. Grounding techniques help bring you back to the present when your body wants to shut down or escape. Try:
Naming 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear…
Placing a hand over your heart and breathing slowly
Using a weighted blanket or warm tea to bring comfort
Release judgment. Your responses are not “crazy” or irrational. They are intelligent adaptations. Instead of judging your body, try to meet it with curiosity: “What is my body trying to tell me?”
Build self-trust through consistency. When you listen to your body’s needs—rest, water, food, space—you start to rebuild a sense of trust. Your body learns: I will care for you now.
Consider somatic therapy or trauma-informed movement. Modalities like Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, trauma-sensitive yoga, or dance/movement therapy can help you process trauma through the body, not just the mind.
Give yourself permission to grieve. Grieve the version of yourself that had to disconnect to survive. Grieve the time lost. Grieve what your body endured. This grief is part of the healing. And you don’t have to do it alone.
Reclaiming Your Body Is a Radical Act of Healing
Every step you take to reconnect with your body is a step toward wholeness. You’re not just healing trauma—you’re reclaiming joy. Pleasure. Presence. Power.
You deserve to live in a body that feels like home again. Not because you’ve “moved on,” but because you’ve moved with your pain—with compassion, not force.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If you're ready to feel safe in your own body after trauma but don’t know where to start, we're here for you.
Book a free consultation today to explore trauma-informed support that meets you where you are, with zero pressure, zero shame, and all the space you need to come home to yourself.
