When we talk about trauma, we often think of painful memories, flashbacks, or overwhelming emotions. But trauma doesn’t just live in your thoughts. It lives in your nervous system—as sensations, reflexes, and survival responses.
At MIMO, we support a trauma-informed approach that honors not just what happened to you, but what happened inside you as a result. Understanding how trauma imprints on the body can help you release shame, build compassion, and take steps toward embodied healing.
What Is Trauma, Really?
Trauma is not defined by the event itself—but by how the body and nervous system responded to the event. When something feels too overwhelming, too fast, or too unsafe to process, the body activates survival responses to protect us.
These responses—fight, flight, freeze, fawn—are part of our biology. They are not signs of weakness. They are signs that your body did what it had to do to survive.
The Role of the Nervous System
Your nervous system is your body’s internal alarm system. It constantly scans for cues of safety or danger—a process called neuroception (a term from Polyvagal Theory by Dr. Stephen Porges).
When trauma occurs, your system may get stuck in chronic activation—responding to the world as if it’s still unsafe, even when the danger has passed.
Common Signs Trauma Is Stored in the Body
You may be carrying trauma in your nervous system if you experience:
- Hyper-vigilance or exaggerated startle response
- Difficulty relaxing or sleeping
- Feeling numb, disconnected, or “shut down”
- Emotional reactivity or feeling easily overwhelmed
- Chronic pain or tension in the body
- Digestive or immune issues without clear medical cause
These are not random. They are physiological expressions of unprocessed stress.
Trauma as a Disruption of Regulation
In a regulated state, your body moves through stress and returns to balance. But trauma disrupts that cycle—locking the system in either hyperarousal (anxious, activated) or hypoarousal (numb, collapsed).
This is why trauma healing is not just about talking or remembering. It’s about helping the body feel safe enough to complete the stress response and restore a sense of internal regulation.
Healing the Nervous System: Where to Begin
Regulation comes before resolution. Before you “fix” anything, the goal is to support your body in feeling safe, connected, and present. Here are a few places to start:
1. Build Somatic Awareness
Notice sensations in your body. Where do you feel tension, heat, numbness, tightness, or movement? Stay curious—not judgmental.
2. Practice Grounding Techniques
Orient to your environment. Try:
- Placing both feet on the floor and feeling the support beneath you
- Looking around and naming five things you see
- Touching a comforting object or texture
3. Use Regulating Breath
Slow exhales help signal safety to the nervous system. Try a 4-6 breathing pattern: inhale for 4, exhale for 6. Let the out-breath soften your body.
4. Seek Safe Co-Regulation
Trauma often happens in isolation—but healing often begins in connection. A calm presence (a therapist, friend, or partner) can help your system feel safe enough to settle.
5. Explore Somatic and Trauma-Informed Therapies
Modalities like Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), or Polyvagal-informed therapy support healing at the nervous system level—not just cognitively.
Final Thoughts: You’re Not Too Much—You’re Carrying Too Much
If you’ve struggled to “think your way out” of trauma, you’re not alone. You don’t need more willpower. You need safety, space, and softness—so your body can stop bracing and start releasing.
At MIMO, we honour trauma not as a flaw in your character, but as a wise response in your nervous system. And we believe that healing begins when your body finally gets the message: it’s safe to feel, it’s safe to rest, it’s safe to be here now.