The “Oh God, I’m Back Here Again” Syndrome 😂

Without a doubt, somatic practices such as fascia release, meditation and Energy Medicine can benefit us on so many levels. They can support nervous system regulation, help us experience life in a more expansive and joyful way, and generally help to make being human a lot more enjoyable.

After all, the body you live in is your home. When it feels spacious, comfortable and connected, it becomes a wonderful place from which to experience life.

So, the question is: why do so many of us start practices like these with the best intentions, only to fall off the wagon a few weeks later?

One of the most frustrating patterns is what I like to call the “Oh God, I’m Back Here Again” syndrome.

You start a new practice enthusiastically after buying your non-toxic, blueberry-dyed yoga pants, a snazzy new journal with a matching pen, and a duvet set personally printed with your new affirmations. (Maybe that’s just me!)

You launch into your new regime with full determination and a glimmer in your eye. For the first few weeks, you feel fantastic. If you're lucky enough to get that far, you might even start thinking that this time, you've cracked it.

And then… things start to go a little off track.

Perhaps it begins on the morning when you gleefully jump out of bed, high-five yourself in the mirror and knock it off the wall, straight onto your big toe.

Or maybe the Eeyore in your head wakes up and starts telling you that this is boring, it probably won't work anyway, and you've never really succeeded at anything like this in the past. Blah, blah, blah…

Perhaps that familiar voice starts suggesting you begin again next week. You're too stressed, tired or busy to do it properly right now.

Or you simply forget. You get bored. Life gets busy. The boiler breaks, you suddenly remember that deadline you've been avoiding, or something else demands your attention. And just like that, your lovely new practice slips down the priority list.

Sound familiar?

So, what's really going on?

Whatever gets in the way, there's often a part of you trying to keep you doing what you already know. Because familiar feels safer, even when familiar doesn't feel happier or healthier, and even when the patterns you're returning to cause you pain.

Your survival system is designed to protect you, and stepping into the unknown can feel uncomfortable, even when that unknown holds the possibility of something better. So it can be surprisingly determined to keep you where you are. 

And those blueberry stains on your legs do look awfully suspicious! 😂

Sometimes, there's another layer to it, too. The very feelings you're trying to move beyond — guilt, shame, tension, stress, unworthiness, can become familiar in their own right. Moving away from them means learning to experience yourself and your life differently, and that takes practice.

The important thing to understand is that falling off the wagon doesn't mean you've failed. It means you're human, and that building a new way of living takes more than enthusiasm alone.

Being prepared for this before you begin a new regime can be incredibly useful. When the inevitable off-trackness creeps in, you can recognise what's happening and have a few tools ready to help you return to your practice.

Here are four things worth packing into your toolkit:

1. Make promises you know you can keep

The promises you make to yourself matter.

When you repeatedly break them, it can chip away at your self-esteem and leave you feeling that you can't rely on yourself. It's the same as having a friend who never turns up when they say they will. Over time, you stop trusting that they'll be there for you.

It's similar when you can't rely on yourself to show up and offer yourself the support you've promised. You can end up living with a subtle sense of unsafety, because even you don't know whether you'll follow through.

So, start small. Make promises that are realistic and achievable, and build from there.

Instead of deciding to wring out your fascia for two hours every day while chanting affirmations at a full-body healing frequency and relying on lettuce to get you through the next month… (Again, that might just be me. 😳)

Try a shorter doable practice, one that you know you can do, even on those busy days, even when you are tired, even if it means you have to dig a little deeper to fulfill your promise. Choose something you can fit into your life as it is now - and if that is ten minutes then it’s ten minutes. 

You can always build on it. The aim is to create a practice that supports you, not another impossible standard to live up to. My practice got deeply embedded the day I decided that I would commit to 30 minutes a day no matter what. Even if that meant doing two 15 minute sessions. 

2. Commit to carrying on regardless, even when the enthusiasm fades

Know that the blips will come and go. Your practice will fluctuate, and there will be days when it feels wonderful and others when you'd rather do almost anything else.

That's normal.

With consistency, your practice can deepen, become more familiar and therefore more natural in your schedule. You begin to understand what works for you, what you need at different points in your life, and how to adapt your practice rather than abandon it altogether.

And remember, your survival system loves the familiar. The more familiar your practice becomes, the less you have to rely on the initial excitement that got you started.

You don't have to do it perfectly. You just have to keep finding your way back.

3. Reflect, recognise your wins and be kind to yourself

Journaling is a wonderful way to do this.

Notice what you've gained from your practice, however small. Perhaps you slept better, felt less reactive, noticed tension before it took over, or simply felt a little more like yourself.

Record those moments. They're evidence that your efforts matter.

And when you fall off the wagon, be honest with yourself without giving yourself a hard time. What got in the way? Was your commitment unrealistic? Did you lose sight of why you started? Is there something you could do differently next time?

Curiosity will get you much further than criticism. 

Rather than turning a missed day into a missed month, use it as an opportunity to learn something about yourself and get back on track.

4. Choose discipline over willpower

Willpower can help you get through a moment, but it tends to be short-lived. Discipline is different. It's the quiet, kind friend who reminds you of what matters and encourages you to follow through, even when you don't particularly feel like it.

Discipline isn't about forcing yourself or being hard on yourself. It's about learning to honour the commitments you've made because you understand why they're important to you.

Sometimes that means adapting your practice, gently cutting through the noise, putting your feet on the floor and showing up.

The more you practise keeping your promises to yourself, the more you build trust in your own ability to show up.

And that trust can spill into so many other areas of your life.

The real magic is in the returning

Somatic practices aren't just about feeling good in the moment. They're an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with your body, your nervous system and yourself.

Over time, you become more aware of the states you're living from, recognise when you're slipping into familiar patterns and develop more choice in how you respond.

It's not about never getting stressed, losing motivation or falling back into old habits. It's about becoming better equipped to navigate those moments, recover your equilibrium and reconnect with the person you are becoming.

Your practice doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful. You just have to keep coming back to it.

And if you're someone who has started and stopped more times than you can count, perhaps this is your invitation to approach things differently this time. Not with a grand new regime or another set of impossible promises, but with curiosity, kindness and a commitment you can genuinely keep.

Because the state of your body influences how you experience your life. And learning to support that state can open up new possibilities for how you feel, how you respond and how fully you experience being human.

Would you like to explore this for yourself?

If you've been wanting to build a consistent practice but find that life, old habits or your own Eeyore keeps getting in the way, we'd love you to join us for GROUND: The 28 Day Reset.Over 28 days, we'll guide you through daily somatic practices combining Fascia Manoeuvres, Energy Medicine, EFT tapping and guided reflection, helping you release tension, reconnect with your body and discover what happens when you consistently give yourself this kind of care and attention.

And because we know that showing up for yourself isn't always easy, you'll have weekly live group coaching with Hannah and me to help you navigate the wobbles, recognise your patterns and keep coming back to your practice.

We'll kick things off with a live introductory workshop on 15th November, where we'll set our intentions and get you ready for the journey ahead. Your first daily practice will be released on 16th November. (replays available - start anytime!!) So, if you're ready to make a promise to yourself, come and join us! Sign up here and if you have any questions at all just drop us an email!