Did you know your body knows what it needs??

Understanding Trauma Responses: How Our Bodies & Minds Signal Change

Trauma, in its simplest terms, is an event or experience that can impact us in some significant way. It’s not always catastrophic or life-threatening; sometimes, trauma stems from smaller, cumulative experiences that shift how we think, feel, or respond to the world. To better understand how trauma affects us, it’s helpful to explore how the body and mind react and adapt, often through signals that demand our attention.

Imagine you cut your finger. The wound might heal over time, but for a while, every touch or stretch reminds you of the injury. Trauma, emotional or physical, works similarly. The experience creates a response in your body and mind that lingers—sometimes for far longer than we’d like. These responses are your body’s way of signaling, something has changed; pay attention!

Maybe, like me and many others, you wind up blaming your body for not being strong enough, tough enough or simply not good enough but the reality is, none of this is your body’s fault! Your body is an amazing communicator, speaking to you on an ongoing basis with what it needs to keep you happy, healthy and at ease. The issue is, we’ve been taught to ignore what our bodies are telling us by pushing through the pain, being told how to look, act and live or working until exhaustion. But what if you could learn to trust your body and listen to it instead? What if you could rely on your mind-body connections to keep you healthy, safe and strong?

Examples of The Body’s Signals

Eating is one way the body communicates its needs. Hunger signals and cravings are driven by complex systems involving hormones, neurotransmitters, and learned behaviors. For example, if your body is used to eating fast foods every day, it might begin to expect and crave that comfort food. Over time, this pattern could lead to weight gain, signaling a mismatch between the body’s actual needs and the cues it’s receiving. In contrast, choosing a more healthy option aligns better with your body’s long-term health goals.

Similarly, emotions are signals, too. When we feel sadness, anger, or anxiety, our body might be telling us something is out of balance. These emotions often change how we think, act, or even eat. For instance, stress might push someone toward emotional eating or suppress appetite entirely while sadness might push someone toward isolation. The key is recognizing these signals as opportunities to assess what the body and mind are asking for.

Staying Grounded: Leaning Into the Cues

Trauma often disrupts this internal communication system. For example, someone who’s experienced a traumatic event might misinterpret their body’s signals—mistaking safety for danger or comfort for discomfort. Staying grounded, however, helps bridge the gap between what your body is signaling and what it truly needs.

Grounding techniques such as connecting to your senses can assist when feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from your body. Practices like deep breathing, mindfulness practices, yoga or even simply pressing your feet into the floor can remind your body that it’s in the present moment. These actions re-anchor you, making it easier to interpret and respond to cues accurately.

Aligning Signals With Goals

When we learn to interpret our body’s signals, we can better align our actions with our goals. Eating becomes less about mindless habits and more about nourishment. Emotional responses transform into insights that guide us rather than overwhelm us.

For example, if weight management is a goal, noticing the pull toward daily fast foods isn’t a call to restrict or punish yourself—it’s a cue to ask, What does my body really need right now? Similarly, if stress is driving emotional eating, grounding techniques might help interrupt the pattern and encourage a healthier coping mechanism.

Trauma responses are part of the human experience, but they don’t have to control us. By listening to our body and leaning into its cues, we can find balance, stay grounded, and move toward a life aligned with our values and goals.