The Body Remembers What the Mind Tries to Forget: How Emotions Get Stored in the Body and What You Can Do About It

Have you ever experienced a sudden wave of anxiety, tension, or discomfort in your body—with no obvious explanation?

Maybe your chest feels tight, your stomach is in knots, or your throat closes up when you’re trying to speak.

What if I told you that these sensations are not random, and they’re not just in your head?

They’re signals from your body—memories stored deep within, long after your mind has moved on.

Something needs your attention.

In this blog, we’ll explore:

• How and why emotions get stored in the body

• The link between emotional suppression and physical symptoms

• Common signs your body is holding onto emotional pain

• What you can do to safely and effectively release stored emotions

How Emotions Get Stored in the Body

When you go through a painful, stressful, or traumatic experience, your body reacts instinctively. Your nervous system may go into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. This is your body’s way of protecting you.

But if the emotional response isn’t processed and released—especially after overwhelming events—those emotions can become trapped in the body.

Your conscious mind might try to “move on,” bury the memory, or rationalise the event. But the body holds onto what the mind avoids. This concept is well-supported in trauma research, especially in works like The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.

Here's what happens:

• The brain registers an event as threatening or distressing.

• If there isn’t space or safety to process it at the time, the nervous system stays activated.

• The unresolved emotional energy gets stored in muscles, tissues, and even organs.

• Later, something seemingly small—a sound, a smell, a person—can trigger the same physical and emotional reaction, even if you're not consciously aware of the original cause.

  
  

Why Emotions Lead to Physical Symptoms

Society often encourages us to “keep it together,” “stay strong,” or “move on.” Unfortunately, this can cause many women to bottle up their emotions—especially those seen as negative or uncomfortable, like sadness, grief, anger, or fear.

But unprocessed emotions don’t just disappear. They manifest in the body and can show up as:

• Chronic anxiety

• Muscle tension and pain

• Digestive issues

• Fatigue or burnout

• Difficulty sleeping

• Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected.

  
  

Many of my clients have spent years trying to “think positive,” practice gratitude, or push through—and while it might work in the short term, the anxiety is going to keep coming back. That’s often because healing needs to happen in the body, not just in the mind.

Where Emotions Are Commonly Stored in the Body

Different emotions can settle in different areas of the body. While everyone is unique, there are common patterns:

• Grief and sadness – often felt in the chest and lungs

• Fear and anxiety – stored in the gut and digestive system

• Anger or frustration – held in the shoulders, jaw, or hands

• Shame – can be felt in the stomach, lower back, or throat

Your body is wise—and it’s constantly trying to communicate with you.

How to Release Stored Emotions from the Body

The good news is that emotional pain doesn’t have to stay stuck forever. Your body has a natural ability to heal—when given the right tools and support.

Here’s how I help women release stored emotions and heal from the inside out:

1. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Also known as “tapping,” EFT is a powerful method that helps discharge emotional energy from the nervous system. By tapping on acupressure points while focusing on a specific feeling or memory, we signal the body that it’s safe to release the emotion.

EFT is gentle but incredibly effective at reducing anxiety, phobias, limiting beliefs, and even physical symptoms linked to emotional suppression.

2. Clinical Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy allows for deep emotional release in a calm and supported way—often uncovering the true source of anxiety that talking therapy alone can’t always reach.

3. Transformational Coaching

Real change requires more than just symptom relief. My trauma informed coaching goes beyond coping strategies and dives into the root causes of anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional overwhelm. We look at beliefs, patterns, and emotional responses—and rewire them from the ground up.

When you combine body-based techniques with mindset work, you create space for transformation.

4. Reiki Healing

Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive practice that works with the body’s energy system to promote deep emotional and physical healing. When emotions become stuck, they can disrupt the natural flow of energy within the body. Reiki helps to clear these energetic blockages, bringing balance to the mind, body, and spirit. Many clients find that Reiki supports them in feeling calmer, more grounded, and emotionally lighter—especially when combined with other therapeutic approaches like EFT and coaching

The Link Between Emotional Healing and Anxiety Relief

You may be feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck in cycles of anxiety that don’t seem to shift—no matter how many tools you try.

That's because your anxiety isn’t random—it’s a messenger. It’s your body trying to say:

“There’s something here that needs your attention.”“I’m still carrying what your mind couldn’t.”“Please slow down and feel me.”

And when you finally do—when you honour your body, listen to its signals, and gently release the stored emotions—everything changes.

You'll feel lighter. Freer. More connected to yourself than you’ve ever been before.

You Don’t Have to Carry This Alone

If you’ve tried journaling, meditation, or mindset work and still feel stuck, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong. It’s because your body needs to be part of the healing process too.

And that’s exactly what I help my clients with.

You don’t have to carry old pain forever. You don’t have to keep “coping.”You can heal. You can feel safe in your body. And you can feel like yourself again.

Ready to Release What’s Been Holding You Back?

Book a free consultation with me today, and let’s talk about how we can gently unlock what your body has been holding—so you can step into a life of calm, confidence, and emotional freedom.

👉 Click here to book your free call.

Chris.