When we get tense, we tend to freeze into that tight shrimp posture without knowing it. Even when we’re not anxious, we spend too much time slumped in front of a screen or curled over our phones.
This can mean that when we’re anxious, tense, or even fully dysregulated, that our shoulders and neck can get even more stiff in this posture. The weak, hunched stance can reinforce feelings of anxiety and even submission.
When you need to calm down, you might naturally stretch your shoulders or back. But you may go a long time without thinking about the need to stretch the corresponding muscles in the front.
This pectoralis stretch can be surprisingly effective in helping you to calm down and break out of a “freeze” response:
Stand in a doorway, or near a post, outward-jutting corner, or even a tree. Hold one arm out at shoulder height, and bend your elbow so that your hand faces up at an angle (as if you’re making the dorkiest possible “Hi there!” gesture). Allow your elbow and forearm to rest against the wall/doorframe.
Step slightly forward with the foot of the same side. In other words, if your right hand is against the wall, move your right foot forward, and also slightly to the left. You’re moving your body gently forward and slightly turning away from the wall. You should feel the stretch in your chest and up into the shoulder of that side. Hold for several seconds, breathing slowly. Repeat on the other side.
Opening up the front of your body this way can quickly help to calm jangled nerves.