There’s something I used to do almost involuntarily every time my emotions started to rise: I walked.
- Fast.
- Far.
- Anywhere.
It didn’t matter where I was going—what mattered was that I was moving.
At the time, I didn’t understand why walking felt like the only thing that helped. I just knew I had to do it.
A Trauma-Informed Insight: My Body Was Regulating
Now I realise: my body was trying to regulate itself.
When you live with trauma—especially complex trauma—your nervous system gets used to living in survival mode. Fight, flight, freeze… they’re not just abstract ideas. They become the blueprint for how you navigate the world.
For me, walking became my version of flight.
But it wasn’t just about escaping.
It was about releasing.
Why Movement Helps When You’re Dysregulated
Walking helped me:
- Shift the energy building up inside
- Breathe again
- Ground myself when my thoughts spiraled
- Give my body something to do while emotions settled
What I once did without thinking, I now do with intention.
Because movement is powerful.
It’s regulation.
It’s connection.
It’s medicine.
You Don’t Need to Do It “Right” — Just Start
And the best part? It doesn’t have to be perfect.
You don’t need:
- Fancy gear
- A gym membership
- A wellness plan
You just need to start where you are.
Try This: Let Your Body Lead
If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, dysregulated, or stuck, try walking:
- Down the street
- Around your house
- Through a park
- Even just pacing your room
Let your body lead.
Let movement move the stuckness through.
A Final Reminder
Trauma lives in the body—movement helps it shift.
And sometimes, a simple walk is exactly what you need to find your way back to yourself.
Traversing Trauma 
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