Tight Hips to Tension: The Link Between Emotions and Pain
We all know the feeling. You tell yourself, “It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” But deep down, it’s not. You wake up with tight hips, a sore neck, and you chalk it up to age or something that’s just part of life. You’ve been running on autopilot for so long that you’ve forgotten what it even feels like to feel good in your body because you’ve been busy managing your family, work, and that to-do list that somehow never seems to end.
Those aches and pains are your body’s way of trying to get your attention. It’s letting you know that there were moments of frustration, overwhelm, sadness, hurt that you’ve buried deep inside. In The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk dives into how trauma - not just big, life-changing events, but all the little emotional bruises you collect along the way - gets stored in the body. When you don’t deal with these emotions, they turn into physical symptoms.
Maybe your lower back pain isn’t just from sitting at your desk all day. Maybe it’s tied to the frustration and anger you’ve been carrying around from a long time ago. Or that tension in your shoulders? It might be connected to the stress of constantly feeling like everything falls on you - that you have to hold everything together for everyone around you.
So, what can you do? The first step is recognizing that you don’t have to live in this baseline of discomfort. Feeling better starts with letting go of the idea that pain is just part of life or that you’re too old to feel good again. The next step is learning to understand the messages from your body. Here are a few practical tips start that process:
Create a safe space. Find a spot where you feel safe and protected, whether it’s a quiet room, your car, or even a corner of your home. That’s where your healing starts.
Give yourself permission to feel. Start journaling, talking to a trusted friend, or investing in a coach. Your emotions are valid, and they need to be expressed.
Let beliefs come to the surface. Ask yourself what beliefs you’ve been carrying that are holding you back. Is it the idea that you can’t have it all? Others won’t show up for you? Your efforts will go unnoticed and unappreciated?
Your body wants to be heard because it wants you to feel better. When you listen to its messages and start processing your emotions, the tension will start to melt away. The pain that was a part of your everyday life will subside. You will feel calmer and more free.
Written by: Angie Spartz, Transformation Coach
www.angiespartz.com
