Soothe: Restoring Your Nervous System from Stress, Anxiety, Burnout, and Trauma

by Nahid de Belgeonne

Tap into the power of nervous system regulation and reduce anxiety, stress, and burnout.

Do you struggle to relax, even while on vacation? Have shallow breaths, trouble sleeping, and aches that won’t go away? Feel irritable constantly, like the slightest inconvenience might set you off? If the answer to any or all of these questions is yes, your nervous system might be dysregulated. Soothe shows how to bring it back into balance—and experience a calmer, more resilient way to be.

Breaking down the fascinating workings of our nervous system and the brain-to-body connection, where emotions are stored, somatic practicioner Nahid de Belgeonne teaches you how to physically release stress by tapping into your senses, breath, and movement. Along the way, she introduces sustainable micro-practices and daily exercises for self-soothing, including how to:
• Rewire your brain with micro-movements
• Alter your emotions by modulating your breath
• Incorporate mood-enhancing foods into your diet
• Co-regulate your nervous system with the people around you

Stress and anxiety are inevitable, but they don’t have to throw us off balance. Soothe invites us into greater bodily awareness and peace.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Health

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This high quality audio book keeps it real by relating it to real life examples. There is a lot of information to be digested and lots of practical exercises. It was lovely to listen to but was a tad long for me and a bit repetitive.
Perfect for anyone who want to try something new, find out you are not alone and like the idea of trying mindfulness to a degree.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

[Castles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure many people can benefit from this book, for me it was not very different from any other body awareness method like yoga, mindfulness, breathing exercises, etc.

[Lexi Kervan · Rating 3 out of 5]

don’t get me wrong there are a lot of great and useful tips in here!!! but the way this book was written, gave me the vibes that the author that this was a “cure all” approach. sometimes breathing won’t help a tummy ache! *gasp*

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all self help books, I take some of what I read and I also leave some. I find a lot of self help books get caught in a circle. For example, this book assumed most people reading were folks who work a Monday-Friday 9-5, have high blood pressure, don’t worry too much about affording basic needs, are terrified of being overweight, and are able bodied. So, great. I’m glad those folks have a nice self help book to help them soothe their stress, and their stress is valid. But I know I don’t have time to do a 30 step self soothing routine an hour before bed. Some of the info in here was nice, good, informative, and helpful. However, the more I thought about it and thought about how I could apply this to my life I started to feel really annoyed that maybe this book just isn’t for me.

[Leikela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this cover to cover while waiting in urgent care, which is not something I recommend. The book has step by step exercises included, and I only tried one or two. (You know, the ones you can do in a medical office when you're supposed to be quietly reading.)

I don't think every thing in the book would work for every body and every situation, but it has good information, good ideas, and things that can be integrated into existing practices.

[Perri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. I found some of the exercises to be way too long (I believe one had 29 steps) and they were difficult to follow in some cases (especially without illustrations) but other than that, this was a great read. Lots of helpful takeaways and ideas to incorporate more soothing activities into your daily life. If nothing else, a reminder to move as much as possible.

[Cassie Fleury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be the most helpful book on stress and anxiety I’ve stumbled upon.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately from the first chapter, Nahid de Belgeonne spoke to me. The parallels between De Belgeonne's early life and my own were palpable as were the responses to the same. To this end, the audiobook had my absolute and undivided attention

De Belgeonne's book reminds me of the Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT) practices that have been gaining traction in professional settings ( I am not talking as a health professional, this is anecdotal and from a participant perspective) But I digress, this audiobook is relevant and well-placed in time. De Belgeonne describes the current stresses on people in contemporary soceity and how they, in addition to our life experience, creates high levels of pressure, stress, anxiety and mental turmoil

Part autobiography, part guidance - this is an audiobook for today, for now. Essential listening for a calmer day

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Profile Books Audio, Souvenir Audio and the incredible Nahid de Belgeonne for this unbelievably resonant ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read a Times review on this my interest was peaked and having suffered from burn out I knew too well the impact that this had. So for the price of a book (far far less than the therapy) could I get anything from it that would help switch off a very busy mind?

Easy to dip in and out of, I read it gently over a few weeks and have settled into regularly practicing one or two things that work for me. One thing that was a wake up call was how little I realised about the body I’ve been given and the signals it tells me about taking care of it - we just need to have the tools to listen and understand and Soothe does this.

Also like the autobiographical slant on this as it made me relate to the author and feel she wrote the book because she genuinely cares about humans. Well worth the price of a book.

[Claudia Carr]

I loved the way that exercises were peppered into all the chapters, so everything you are reading and wondering about with your mind then gets to be experienced, physically and somatically.
The authors knowledge and experience is clearly extensive, synthesising different practices and lineages into a new and accessible form, but she writes with an openness and generosity of spirit. She doesnt shy from sharing her own stories, vulnerabilities and overcomings, and that, along with inspiring case studies, makes the reading very approachable and engaging.
The exercise instructions are clear and consise but also rich with visually imaginative prompts
It's a book that keeps on giving! Every time I dip back in I return with something tasty to reflect on.

[Carolina Tenorio-Espinosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this audiobook so much. Nahid de Belgeonne goes through how our nervous system works and how to regulate it. I found it so useful and found myself re-listening to the exercises to get myself into the practice of doing them. The case studies felt like a bit much towards the end but also felt reassuring that I wasn't feeling crazy and everyone deals with stress and anxiety in their day to day life. Found this really useful and can't wait to get into more of her content!

[Kirstine Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book! Nahid's wisdom and real voice throughout kept me returning again and again. The chapters are beautifully structured and I loved absorbing the science, it helped me visualize and understand the practice more deeply. The world feels very heavy and chaotic at the moment, so being able to dip into different parts of chapters felt exceptionally easy. It allowed me to explore what I need and when I need it. One I will keep by my bedside and will always return to!

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Listened to the audiobook**

I hadn't heard of Nahid de Belgeonne but I sure do now!
I really enjoyed this book, and feel like I got a lot from it. It was so in depth, but I never felt overwhelmed with the amount of info. Belgeonne does an excellent job of making the scientific detailed information accessible.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Listened to the audiobook*

Nahid de Belgeonne was not someone I had heard of but I'm glad I have now!
I found this book fascinating full of easy to follow scientific facts, case studies and exercises on how our nervous system works and how to regulate and soothe it. Well worth a listen, I have the book on preorder so I can reread and reference it in future.

[Sarah (blissbubbley) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the audiobook of this and whilst I normally get this kind of book as a physical, I actually thought with having the exercises to follow it would be easier to follow by ear. This was indeed true. I just found that it’s not something I would go back to after listening once and that quite a lot of it can be found elsewhere.

[Rebecca Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

How we move, how we breathe, how we relate to - and connect to ourselves.. increasingly this is understood by science to be utterly central to our health and indeed joy..

As a journalist I write about health and longevity, and if I were to advise one path out of the many out there, to soothe and heal the mind and body it would be that described in this book. Essential reading.

[Ingrid Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Nahid!! Soothe is loaded with valuable information and techniques, all presented so readably that anyone can benefit....however deranged you may be feeling! The book is well researched and packed with insights. A vital resource in these days of increased anxiety. Thankyou Thankyou dear Ms de Belgeonne! X

[Tytania · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant, direct, and thorough guide on how to resolve vagus nerve issues. Nahid has a kind but authoritative voice as she gently pushes you into a position of release, making the way for you to find your personal peace.

[Reshma Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Approachable and easy to follow, a book I will continue to come back to. Nahid balances practical guidance with thoughtful personal experiences and learnings, a voice I want to hear more from. Soothing in every way.

[Marianne Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suffered a major burnout at work, and this book has helped me to heal. It's not woo-woo but full of practical ways to reset your breathing and rediscover how to be calm and in the moment (I was shallow breathing and in constant fight or flight mode). I couldn't recommend Soothe more!

[Susan Aldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at a Guardian event where Nahid was speaking. It's a readable, well-researched guide on how to calm stress by working with your body. It's packed with exercises and advice and is a book I will certainly come back to for ideas.

[Miranda Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho porque me hizo ser consciente de que somos mas alla de la mente, que somos un cuerpo, un cuerpo inteligente y que conectar con el es lo mejor que podemos hacer.
Lo que no me gusto es que los ejercicios que son relatados como simples me parecieron bastante complejos y largos ;/

[organisedchaosbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good starting point to understand how to soothe yourself, clear steps and advice.

Free arc via netgalley. All views/ ratings are my own.

[Rachael Chrystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a real tonic for my nervous system. I enjoyed the clear explanations, as well as the practical exercises and have recommended to others as a good introduction to the soma. Thank you

[Pippa Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nahid is the voice we all need right now....reminding us to breathe - the simplest thing is the hardest to do sometimes! I also love that she brings humour to her very serious method, she's REAL.

[Hannah Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought provoking and compassionate read. I found it motivating and helpful. I really love the practices included throughout the book and often return to them.

[Julie Shuman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first few chapters were good intros to health psychology. There are no new ideas but it is concise with real world applications. The second half of the book struggled with being repetitive (only so much soft eye gaze and restful breathing you can suggest) and off topic (the connect chapter is essentially just social media bashing and recommends a 30 minute screen time per day).

The writing style is accessible and most people I think will find one or two good additions to a routine or practice but not my favorite health/self help out there.

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely invitation to slow down and to really feel and sense into how we respond to the fast-paced life that we are living. There are so many practical and pragmatic considerations on how we can reconnect to ourselves that support us to make changes on how we respond in stressful situation, so leading to better health.
Definitely one of those books to keep coming back to, just open a page and do the suggested exercises or flip your perspective on how you view a specific situation.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

S good summary

This is a good summary of ways and reasons to soothe your nervous system. If someone did these things it would really help. But the key is doing it and sticking to it. That's the hard part.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really could have benefitted from diagrams/illustrations. I liked the concepts but the physical practices were hard to understand/visualize when written in long numbered lists.