How to Feel a Feeling: The 5 Steps of SIBAM for Nervous System Regulation

Most of us were never actually taught how to feel a feeling. We were taught how to override it, rationalize it, minimize it, or move past it as quickly as possible. But what we suppress, the body will later express. What we resist will persist. In this episode, Britt breaks down one of the most foundational somatic tools for emotional processing: SIBAM. She explains why suppressing emotions can keep the nervous system stuck in a stress response cycle, why feelings are not the same as emotions, and how the body already knows how to process what the mind often interrupts. Britt walks through the five channels of SIBAM — sensation, image, behavior, affect, and meaning — and shares how each one can help you move through feelings in a gentler, more tolerable way. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by emotion, disconnected from your body, or unsure how to actually process what you feel, this episode offers a practical body-first framework to begin. Connect with Britt:Instagram: @healwithbrittTikTok: @healwithbrittYouTube: Brittany PiperBody-First Healing Resources:Join the Program: bodyfirsthealing.com/programSomatic Practitioner Training: bodyfirsthealing.com/somatic-certificateRead the Book: bodyfirsthealing.com/the-bookTake the Free Mini Course: myhealinghub.com/minicourseoptinWebsite: bodyfirsthealing.comLISTEN, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE:Apple Podcasts SpotifyYouTube