Somatic Shaking: A Primal Reset for the Stress Response
Somatic shaking—or neurogenic tremoring—is a natural, body-led way to discharge stress and tension from the nervous system. It’s based on the observation that animals instinctively shake after a threat to return to baseline, a process humans have learned to suppress. But research shows we benefit just as much—if not more—by letting our bodies move through this physical release.
Shaking activates what’s called “neurogenic tremors”, involuntary muscle movements that emerge when the body begins to downshift from a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state into a parasympathetic (rest-and-repair) state. Studies show that shaking reduces muscle tone, lowers cortisol, and increases vagal tone, which supports calm, digestion, and sleep (Berceli & Napoli, 2006; Van der Kolk, 2014).
In trauma recovery and stress resilience models like Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE), even 10–15 minutes of somatic shaking can reduce perceived stress, decrease anxiety symptoms by over 30%, and improve sleep in high-stress populations—including first responders and military personnel (Dana et al., 2020).
How to Practice Somatic Shaking:
Stand with knees slightly bent and begin gently bouncing at the knees and hips.
Let your arms, shoulders, and jaw loosen, allowing tremors or shaking to ripple naturally through the body.
You can exaggerate or play with it—shake out your limbs, wiggle, bounce, shimmy. Keep going for 3–5 minutes or until you feel a shift.
Afterwards, pause, breathe slowly, and notice sensations of warmth, tingling, or calm.
Why it works: Shaking helps your body complete the stress cycle—offloading stored adrenaline and recalibrating your nervous system, especially after acute stress or prolonged hypervigilance.
In high-performance, high-stress professions, somatic shaking is a powerful tool to reclaim regulation and restore resilience—no words needed.
Use this when you, someone you love, or someone on a call:
- has had traumatic or overwhelming experience
- after a long day before you get home
- needs to energize
- Feels frozen, numb, or disconnected after a stressful event
- Can’t stop pacing, fidgeting, or feels “wired but tired”
- Is visibly shaking or breathing shallowly after a high-adrenaline moment
- Has trouble calming down even though the danger has passed
- Needs to release built-up energy after a critical incident, argument, or trauma trigger
Here is an incredibly short visual:
Here is a full 5 minute practice you can play with daily: