# Shake off stress in under a minute

> A simple body movement called somatic shaking can help loosen tension and interrupt anxious thoughts without equipment or time.
- Title: Shake off stress in under a minute · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: A simple body movement called somatic shaking can help loosen tension and interrupt anxious thoughts without equipment or time.
- Keywords: somatic shaking, stress relief, anxiety management, body tension, mental health, kim penberthy, uva school of medicine, lisa george, morgan starr-riestis, TIME
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/11/10/somatic-shaking-stress-relief
- Author: Angela Haupt
- Published: 2026-11-10T15:06:29.997+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: somatic shaking, stress relief, anxiety management, body tension, mental health, kim penberthy, uva school of medicine, lisa george, morgan starr-riestis, news, world
## What is somatic shaking?
Somatic shaking is a stress-management exercise where you gently shake your hands, arms and legs. It takes a minute or less, requires no equipment, and may help loosen tense muscles and ease anxious thoughts.
## How tension builds in your body
When you replay arguments or worry about upcoming events, your body tightens.Your jaw clenches, shoulders raise, and neck stiffens.
## Shaking interrupts rumination
The movement gives your mind something else to focus on instead of mentally rewriting emails or replaying conversations.

> I've got some ability to do something. I don't have to just sit here and suffer.
## How to start shaking
Stand comfortably with feet on the floor or sit in a chair.Let your hands hang loosely and give them a gentle shake like flicking off water.
## Add your legs to the movement
If comfortable, loosen one leg and then the other, holding a chair or wall for support if standing.If sitting, try small foot taps instead.Keep your eyes open, head and neck steady, and breathe normally.

> This isn't something where you have to be aggressive. You're not throwing your arms.
## Keep it gentle and realistic
Lisa George, a psychiatric and family nurse practitioner and founder of Talk Tribeca Psychiatry in New York, likens somatic shaking to an active form of stretching.
## Notice how you feel afterward
After a brief shake, stop and notice whether your shoulders are lower, your hands less clenched, or the conversation in your head quieter.You might feel calmer, unchanged, or more energized.

> If it feels good, great. And if it doesn't feel good, then stop.
## Use it between stressful moments
You do not have to save shaking for the end of a terrible day.Try it between tasks, after a tense phone call, or once you are somewhere comfortable following an appointment you have been dreading.
## Release pent-up energy
Morgan Starr-Riestis, a therapist in Honolulu, did a quick shake beside her car after a trip to the dentist.

> You just kind of allow that pent-up energy to feel like it has a place to go, so you're not carrying it around.
## The stillness after matters most
After shaking, leave yourself a moment to be still.Take a breath, notice how you feel, and give yourself a chance to settle before checking your phone or opening the next email.

> The stillness after that is really, I think, the more important part.
## Key takeaway

Somatic shaking, a gentle body movement taking under a minute, helps relieve stress by loosening tense muscles and redirecting anxious thoughts.