6 Somatic Moves to Reset After a Stressful Day

Hi Mummis,

Some days feel overwhelming. Work, kids, and emotional overload can build up until your whole body feels tight or drained. Stress doesn’t stay in your mind. It shows up in your muscles, breath, and posture too.

Tonight, instead of pushing through or collapsing into bed, let’s try something softer. This six‑part reset helps you release tension stored in your body so you can end the day feeling grounded and calm.

These movements are quick, simple, and take less than ten minutes.

Let’s begin.

1. Jaw & Neck Reset: Releasing the Day’s Bracing

The jaw often holds frustration, pressure, and unspoken emotions. The neck tenses when you feel responsible for everything or brace against overwhelm.

Try these:

• Soft Jaw Release: Relax your jaw. Open it slightly and let your tongue drop from the roof of your mouth. Exhale with a soft sigh to release tension from suppressed emotions or overthinking.

• Neck Sway: Let your head hang forward. Gently sway side to side to loosen muscles that tighten when you’ve been on alert too long.

2. Shoulders & Upper Back Reset: Letting Go of the Load

Shoulders collect responsibility. They carry caregiving, deadlines, and emotional labor. When the day feels heavy, the upper back guards itself, blocking breath and making you feel rigid.

Try these:

• Slow Shoulder Rolls: Circle your shoulders back with slow, controlled movement to release strain and pressure.

• Thread the Needle: Start on all fours. Reach one arm under your body and rest into the stretch. This opens the upper back where stress often hides.

3. Breath Reset: Opening the Diaphragm & Ribcage

The diaphragm tightens with pressure, sadness, or emotional heaviness. Shallow breathing keeps you in a reactive state.

Try these:

• Rib Expansion Breathing: Sit or stand tall. Place your hands on your ribcage. Inhale through your nose, feeling your ribs widen. Exhale gently and feel them soften inward.

• Heart Opener Stretch: Press your palms together behind your back in reverse prayer pose. Lift your chest slightly and breathe into your ribs, opening the front of the body where worry often collects.

  Modification: If reverse prayer feels challenging, clasp a yoga block between your hands in a prayer position to create space and support.

4. Hip Flexor Reset: Cooling the Fight‑or‑Flight Response

The psoas connects deeply to fear and urgency. When your nervous system stays activated, it tightens as if preparing to protect you.

Try these:

• Supported Lunge: Step into a gentle lunge. Exhale and soften the front of your hip to release stored fear or pressure.

• Leg Swings: Hold onto a stable surface. Swing one leg forward and back with slow, even movement to reset the psoas safely.

5. Hip & Glute Reset: Releasing Stored Emotion

The hips hold frustration and unresolved emotion. The glutes grip when the body feels unsupported.

Try these:

• Figure‑4 Stretch: Cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Lean forward until you feel a steady stretch. Breathe into the back of your hips to release held tension.

• Supported Deep Squat (my favorite): Lower into a deep squat with feet flat. Hold onto something if needed. Gently sway your hips to unlock the pelvic region where stress often settles.

6. Core & Lower Back Reset: Softening the Holding Pattern

The belly stores fear and worry. The lower back tightens when you carry too much or feel unsupported.

Try these:

• Pelvic Tilts: Lie on your back with knees bent. Gently rock your pelvis forward and back with your breath to soften the lower back.

• Child’s Pose with Back Breathing: Fold into child’s pose. Focus on breathing into the sides and back of your ribs. Each exhale relaxes your lower back and softens your belly.

Your 6‑Area Somatic Reset

Moving through these six areas shifts your body from tight to calm, and from restless to centered.

You deserve to end the day in a body that feels safe and supported.

This series is also a great precursor to strength training. I incorporate many of these moves into the warm‑up plans for my personal training clients. Building muscle is important, but having a stable foundation is key. When emotions are held in the body, they can create unbalanced movement patterns. Creating stability before adding load helps you move more effectively.

Of course, you can also do these movements on their own, outside of a workout. They’re a simple way to bring calm into your body anytime.

Want More Ways to Reset After Stressful Days?

Download the Stress Reset Cheat Sheet: 6 Somatic Exercises on our website. It gives you simple steps to unwind your body and mind.

For deeper support, our course Wellness 101 includes tools for habit‑building, emotional regulation, and nervous‑system care — foundations that make daily stress easier to manage.

If you found this helpful, please share it with another mum who may need it 💜

Wishing you a gentle evening,

Sam

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