How Circadian Rhythms Shape Your Mood — And How Somatic Therapy Helps You Reset

Dec 5

When your mood feels unpredictable, your anxiety spikes for no reason, or you feel “off” no matter how hard you push yourself, it’s easy to assume you’re failing or falling behind.
But for so many high-achieving adults I support across Florida (statewide)—from Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, and North Palm Beach—and my virtual clients throughout Connecticut, the deeper issue is often physiological, not personal.

One of the most overlooked drivers of anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional overwhelm is your circadian rhythm—the internal clock that regulates sleep, hormones, energy levels, digestion, and your entire mood system.

When chronic stress, trauma, perfectionism, or burnout disrupt that clock, your whole body feels dysregulated.

That’s why somatic therapy—especially Somatic experiencing®, Trauma therapy, Anxiety therapy, PTSD therapy, and nervous system regulation—is so effective. It helps realign the body’s natural rhythms from the inside out.

What Your Circadian Rhythm Has to Do With Mood, Anxiety & Trauma Symptoms

Your circadian rhythm influences nearly everything:

Sleep quality
Energy throughout the day
Melatonin and cortisol levels
Digestion and appetite
Body temperature
Emotional regulation
Motivation and focus
When your circadian rhythm is regulated, your mood becomes steadier and your nervous system more grounded.

When it’s disrupted, people commonly experience:

Mood swings
Irritability
Heightened anxiety
Depression-like symptoms
Brain fog
Emotional overwhelm
Feeling tired but wired
Higher PTSD activation
Difficulty concentrating

I see these patterns daily in my clients, my kids and myself when the clocks change!

How Trauma and Burnout Disrupt Your Internal Clock

Trauma and chronic stress don’t just live in the mind—they live in the nervous system, which then affects circadian rhythms.

Over time, the body becomes stuck in survival mode:

Cortisol levels become irregular
Sleep becomes shallow or inconsistent
The system stays hyper-alert
The body struggles to “turn off”
Mood becomes reactive
You feel disconnected or emotionally flat
This is not a personal failure.
It’s a sign that your nervous system has been carrying too much for too long.
Healing must involve the body.
That’s where somatic therapy creates meaningful change.

Why Somatic Therapy Helps Reset Circadian Rhythms

Somatic therapy works directly with the nervous system—the system most impacted by trauma and chronic stress. Instead of focusing only on cognitive strategies, we help the body learn safety, regulation, and rhythm again.

Somatic therapy supports circadian healing by:

Calming chronic fight-or-flight
Reducing hypervigilance
Improving emotional resilience
Supporting deeper, restorative sleep
Increasing body awareness
Unwinding trauma held in the body
Rebuilding predictable internal rhythms

Clients across Florida and Connecticut often report:

More consistent energy
Fewer anxiety spikes
Improved sleep
A calmer baseline
Less reactivity
Clearer thinking
A stronger connection to their body

Their system becomes steadier, softer, and more responsive—not stuck in survival mode.

Somatic Practices to Support Your Circadian Rhythm

These simple, gentle practices begin helping the body re-regulate.

1. Morning Light Reset

Get 3–10 minutes of natural light within an hour of waking.
This signals to your brain: It’s morning. You’re safe to wake up.

2. Micro Drop-Ins (10–20 Seconds)

Pause and notice just one thing:

Your feet
Your breath
A neutral or comfortable sensation
The support of the chair beneath you

This regulates your stress cycle in real time.

3. Rhythmic Movement

Slow walking, stretching, shaking, or gentle rocking calms the nervous system and enhances emotional regulation.

4. Co-Regulation

Therapeutic connection—especially in somatic therapy—helps the nervous system re-learn predictability and safety.

5. Reframing Sensations

In Somatic Experiencing, you learn:

Sensations are not danger
Activation is not an emergency
Your body is communicating, not betraying you

This shifts your entire relationship with anxiety and mood.

If Your Mood Feels Unpredictable or “Not You,” There Is a Reason

If you’ve been feeling:

Burned out
Emotionally reactive
Chronically exhausted
Anxious without a clear trigger
Disconnected from your body
Unable to relax
Stuck in survival mode

…it may not be “just stress.”
Your circadian rhythm—and your nervous system—may be overwhelmed.

Somatic therapy helps restore the internal rhythms that create emotional stability, calm, and clarity.

You Don’t Have to Live Dysregulated Anymore

I support high-achieving adults, trauma survivors, anxious professionals, and overwhelmed caretakers across:

Florida (Statewide Virtual + In-Person in Palm Beach)

Palm Beach Gardens
West Palm Beach
Jupiter
North Palm Beach
Palm Beach County
And all of Florida through virtual therapy

Connecticut (Statewide Virtual Therapy)

Stamford
Greenwich
West Hartford
Fairfield County
All of Connecticut

Using Somatic experiencing®, Trauma therapy, Depression therapy, Anxiety therapy, PTSD therapy, and nervous system regulation, we re-train your body to feel safe—so your mood, your energy, and your life become steady again.