Photo by Tadeusz Lakota on Unsplash
Personal Testimony
Since early childhood, I have suffered from blood-injection-injury (BII) type phobia. The worst part about going in for my annual flu vaccination was the judgment. I would sit in the waiting room, anxiety would make my hands sweat, and I’d become antsy in my seat. Feelings of dread would sweep over my body knowing the physical reaction my body would do next. My leg would start shaking.
It would start off as a normal bouncing up and down, and then it would become rapid and uncontrollable. I would try to press my hands down on my thigh to try and quiet the shaking. Even though the motion is silent, it always caught the attention of other people in the waiting room. Other patients would stare and make comments, and I would see the nurses glance at each other, all not wanting to be the one to have to deal with me that day.
My shaky leg made me really embarrassed. I prayed to be different, but what I didn’t realize at the time was that anxious shaking was a blessing I never appreciated.
Research
In the animal kingdom, one can witness animals shaking after a traumatic event. A dog might shake like they’re wet, and a zebra might shake its mane, and then carry on as if nothing happened. Shaking is a biological cue to the limbic system in the brain that danger has passed and can calm the fight-or-flight response from the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) (Shaw, 2019). As humans, it is not uncommon to see us brush ourselves off when we fall, shake our hand after jamming our fingers, and as I mentioned, shivering in the face of stress.
The only difference between humans and animals in this way is we can or often try to suppress the shaking to avoid social judgment. However, for animals, if they are not able to shake, they often die. Humans tend to develop or exasperate mental illnesses instead (Shaw, 2019).
Dr. David Berceli, in his time as a social worker in high conflict areas, had the realization that quivering is a natural relief response that adults learn to suppress. When spending time in bomb shelters, he noticed everyone covered their heads and curled into the fetal position, but the children also shook when their parents did not (Whitehead, 2020).
This led him to create Tension & Trauma Relaxing Exercises (TRE). TRE has been taught to large communities who have experienced mass trauma and people who suffer from PTSD and anxiety to release tension in the body (TRE website, 2020).
If this is something that interests you, you can watch videos on TRE or find a TRE provider near you. I do not want to instruct you on this technique since I am not certified. However, there is one takeaway and one exercise that I would like you to walk away with.
The Takeaway
When you are anxious and afraid, try to remember that your body is trying to soothe you and tell you “It’s okay.” When you feel the stares of others, try to remember that your body is on your side and there to support you through your worry, fears, and trauma.
The Exercise: The Shakedown
The ‘shakedown’ is a warm-up used in theater and dance to get rid of performance anxiety and transform it into excitement. You start by shaking your right hand for eight counts, then your left hand for eight, then your right leg, and then your left leg*. You repeat counting down how long you shake seven…six…five…four…and so on. After ‘one,’ you shake your whole body in whatever way feels good. Then you stop and take a deep breath. Typically this is done with friends, so you tend to feel silly and happy and laugh together after a shakedown.
If you are a parent, friend, or sibling of someone who suffers from anxiety this might be a good technique to do with them (if they are comfortable with it of course). Even if you are in a public setting, things tend to be less embarrassing when you are doing it with someone rather than when you are being singled out. Even if they know their body is there to support them, it is always good to know you have people on your side.
*If you are unable to shake one of your limbs for whatever reason, you can break it down by joint. Shake your wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, ankles, head–whatever you are able and comfortable with.
