25 Powerful Ways to Release Stuck Emotions and Start Healing

Your body expresses itself through emotions almost every day.

When these emotions are noticed and accepted, they naturally release. But when they are ignored or pushed away, they can stay trapped in the body and slowly create psychological and physical problems.

Your body is a storehouse of childhood emotions. In many cases, these were never fully released because we did not know how to release them back then. On top of this, new emotions keep getting added through daily experiences.

If you are starting to notice psychological issues or, more importantly, physical problems such as lifestyle diseases, it is a sign that you need to begin taking action.

The good news is that it is not too late.

These stuck emotions can be released through simple daily practices. In this article, we will look at some of them. You do not need to do all of them. Choose the ones you feel naturally drawn to. Try to practice them regularly so emotions do not build up and stay stuck.

Remember, as you release these emotions from your body, your mind becomes relaxed too. Because, as above, so below, as below, so above. As your mind is so your body becomes, as your body is, so your mind responds.

25 Easy Ways to Release Stuck Emotions

1. Grounding

Grounding is one of the easiest ways to release emotions from the body. When your bare feet touch the earth, your body begins to let go of stored tension. The nervous system slowly settles.

How long should you do it? Even one minute a day can make a difference. If your body wants more, stay longer. There is no right or wrong time. Just listen to what feels comfortable.

If going outdoors is not possible, there are simple alternatives. You can use a grounding mat or a grounding blanket. You can also use a grounded wire connected to the soles of your feet.  These days, you can also find shoes designed for grounding that you may consider using.

2. Shaking Practices

Shaking is a simple and natural way to release stuck emotions from the body. Gentle shaking, such as Qigong shaking, helps loosen tension that has been held inside for a long time. As the body moves, old emotional energy begins to clear and your energy starts to feel lighter.

You do not need to force the movement. Let your body shake softly in a way that feels comfortable. Even a few minutes can help the body reset and feel refreshed.

This practice is especially helpful when you feel heavy, restless, or emotionally blocked.

3. Body Awareness or Body Scan Meditation

You can do this practice sitting or lying down. Begin by consciously relaxing and letting go. Bring your attention into the body and slowly notice where tension is being held. This could be in the jaw, shoulders, chest, belly, or anywhere else.

There is no need to change or fix anything right away. Simply notice. As awareness rests on these areas, gently allow them to soften. Many times, the release happens naturally.

Even a few minutes of simple body awareness can help emotions move through the body and settle.

Here’s a body scan meditation you can start doing today.

4. Stretching and Twisting

Stretching and twisting help the body let go of what it has been holding onto. Tight muscles often carry old tension and emotions. When you gently move and open these areas, the body finally gets a chance to release them.

Move slowly and listen to your body. There is no need to push or strain. Breathe as you stretch and notice how the body responds.

Which areas should you stretch or twist? Let your body guide you. You will naturally know which areas need movement. When you stretch these areas, it should feel relieving, not painful. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then gently let go. As relaxation sets in, you may feel emotions releasing.

Repeat this as many times as you like. But make sure to be gentle. Try to make it a daily practice so the body stays open and relaxed.

5. Breathwork

Slow, deep breathing tells your body that it is safe. When the body feels safe, it begins to let go of stored emotional pressure.

Breathe in slowly through the nose and allow the belly to expand. Breathe out gently and fully. When you breath out, let your belly/abdomen relax. With each breath, notice the body softening a little more.

Even a few seconds of slow, conscious breathing can calm the mind and release emotions held inside.

6. Sound Release

Sound is one of the body’s most natural healing tools. Humming, sighing, or making soft vocal sounds sends gentle waves through the body. These vibrations reach places emotions have been quietly stored for a long time, places the mind can’t always access.

One of the simplest and most effective sounds is “MMMMM.” Close your mouth and slowly exhale through your nose, like the low hum of a bee. This practice is known in yoga as Bee Breathing (Bhramari), and it’s used to calm the mind and melt inner tension.

As you hum, notice where the vibration travels in your body. It may move through your abdomen, chest, throat, face, or head. Let the sound move naturally. There is no right pitch and no perfect rhythm.

Don’t aim to sound good. Aim to feel. When the body vibrates, it releases.

7. Journaling

Journaling helps the mind process what the body has been holding onto. Unexpressed thoughts and emotions often remain stored inside when they are not acknowledged. Writing gives them a safe space to come out.

Write slowly and honestly. There is no need to explain yourself or make sense of everything. Let the words flow as they come, without judging them.

What should you write about? Write about the thoughts currently moving through your mind, or about an event from the past that had a strong emotional impact on you. Do not aim for an outcome. Simply write it out.

Write for a few minutes, then pause and notice any shift in your body. Repeat whenever you feel heavy or overwhelmed. Over time, journaling becomes a gentle way to keep both the body and mind clear and relaxed.

If you’re not sure where to begin, these self-reflection journals can gently guide you.

8. Cold or Warm Exposure

Temperature changes help the body release stored tension. Warm water relaxes tight muscles and soothes the nervous system. Cold water stimulates the body, helping reset the nervous system and clear emotional charge.

Choose what your body needs in the moment. If you feel tense or heavy, warmth may help you soften. If you feel numb, restless, or overwhelmed, brief cold exposure can bring you back into your body.

Begin gently. A warm shower can be slow and calming. For cold exposure, start with a few seconds of cool water and build up gradually. Breathe steadily and notice how your body responds.

Afterward, pause and feel the shift. Many people notice a sense of clarity, lightness, or calm. Used mindfully, both warmth and cold become simple tools for emotional release and balance.

12. Creative Expression

Creative expression helps emotions move out of the body. Drawing, dancing, singing, or playing music allows feelings to flow without needing words.

Choose what feels natural. There is no right way to do it.

Create to release, not to perfect.

13. Safe Emotional Release

Some emotions, especially anger, need physical release. Punching a pillow, squeezing a towel, or gently stomping your feet gives the body a safe way to let go of what it has been holding.

You can also try any of the following ways to release built-up energy safely:

• Push firmly against a wall
• Grip and release your fists
• Tear paper or cardboard
• Do a few strong exhales through the mouth
• Kick/punch into the air or against a mattress
• Push your heels firmly into the ground
• Scream into a pillow
• Sit in a parked car and let out a strong scream for privacy

These simple actions help move stored tension out of the muscles and nervous system. The goal is release, not harm. Breathe deeply before and after, and stop once your body begins to feel calmer.

14. Inner child soothing

Some of our deepest emotional wounds come from childhood and remain stored in the body. This practice helps bring gentle healing to those places.

Begin by gently taking your attention back to your childhood days. Allow a memory to surface from a time that felt emotionally intense. This may be a moment when you needed comfort, care, or support but did not receive it.

See your younger self in that moment. Notice how they look and how they feel. Stay with this image for a few moments without rushing.

Now speak to your younger self kindly, the way a caring adult would. You can say simple words like, “I see you,” “You are safe now,” or “I am here with you.” Use a soft and gentle tone, either out loud or silently.

As you do this, notice how the body responds. You may feel warmth, softness, or a sense of relief. Deep emotional tension often begins to ease when the inner child feels heard and supported.

15. Mindful Exhaling

Long, slow exhales tell your body that it is safe and that the danger has passed. As the exhale lengthens, emotional tightness begins to soften and release.

Breathe in gently, then breathe out slowly and fully. Let the out breath be longer than the in breath. Even a few mindful exhales can calm the nervous system and bring relief.

16. Sunlight Exposure

Sunlight helps the body release emotional heaviness that builds up over time. When natural light reaches the body, the nervous system relaxes and stored tension begins to soften.

Spend a few minutes in sunlight each day, especially in the morning. Make sure some skin is exposed so the light can directly reach the body. There is no need to do anything else.

Even short, regular sunlight exposure can help emotions move through the body and leave you feeling lighter and more open.

18. Gentle Self Touch

Gentle self touch helps calm the nervous system and release emotional pressure. Placing your hand on your chest or stomach sends a signal of safety to the body and helps activate the vagus nerve.

Rest your hand there for a few moments. Breathe slowly and notice the warmth and contact. There is nothing else you need to do.

This simple act can soften emotional tension and bring a sense of calm and support.

19. Self Massage

Self massage helps the body release stored tension and emotions through gentle touch. When you massage the body slowly, the nervous system relaxes and emotional pressure begins to melt away.

In yoga and Ayurveda, there is a simple self massage practice called Abhyanga. It involves massaging the body with warm oil using slow, caring movements. This practice is known to calm the nerves, ground the body, and support emotional release.

You can massage your arms, legs, neck, shoulders, or feet. Move slowly and stay present with the touch. Notice areas that feel tight or heavy and give them extra care.

20. Salt Water Bath

Salt has a powerful, almost magical ability to draw out and absorb what the body has been holding onto. For a long time, salt has been used to cleanse and release heavy emotional energy.

A warm salt water bath helps the body relax while the salt gently draws out emotional heaviness and tension. As you soak, muscles soften and the body begins to let go.

Add natural salt to warm bath water and sit quietly for a few minutes. Allow the water to support you. There is nothing you need to do or think about.

After the bath, many people feel lighter, calmer, and more settled. This practice is especially helpful after emotionally heavy days.

21. Sound Healing

Sound healing uses vibration to release emotions stored deep in the body. Different sounds create gentle waves that move through the nervous system and help loosen emotional blocks.

You can listen to calming sounds like singing bowls, bells, soft chanting, or slow rhythmic music. You can also create the sound yourself using tools like a tuning fork or a Tibetan singing bowl.

Let the sound wash over you without trying to analyze it. As the body receives these vibrations, tension begins to soften and emotions start to release.

22. Chakra Meditation

Chakra meditation helps release emotions by bringing awareness to the body’s main energy centers. Each chakra is linked to certain emotions, and when attention is brought there, stuck energy can begin to move.

Sit or lie down comfortably. Bring your attention to one chakra at a time and notice any sensations, tightness, or heaviness without judging it. You can gently breathe into that area or imagine it softening.

For example, if you were often not allowed to speak as a child and now find it hard to express yourself, keep your attention gently focused on the throat chakra. Stay there for a few moments and allow any sensations or emotions to surface and release.

Move through the chakras at your own pace. This practice helps emotions loosen, move through the body, and settle, leaving you feeling more balanced and clear.

23. Mantra Chanting

Mantra chanting uses sound vibration to release emotional blocks and bring balance to the chakras. Each chakra has a simple seed mantra. Chanting these sounds helps activate the area and support emotional release.

• Root Chakra (base of the spine): LAM: Supports safety, grounding, and stability
• Sacral Chakra (lower belly): VAM: Supports emotions, creativity, and flow
• Solar Plexus Chakra (upper belly): RAM: Supports confidence and personal power
• Heart Chakra (center of the chest): YAM: Supports love, openness, and emotional healing
• Throat Chakra (throat): HAM: Supports expression and clear communication
• Third Eye Chakra (between the eyebrows): OM: Supports awareness and inner clarity
• Crown Chakra (top of the head): SILENCE or OM: Supports connection and inner stillness

Chant each mantra slowly for a few minutes. Let the sound vibrate in the body and notice how the area responds.

24. Body Tapping

Body tapping is a simple way to release emotions by gently stimulating the body with rhythmic touch. Light tapping helps wake up areas that feel numb or tense and encourages emotional energy to move.

Using your palms, gently tap different parts of the body such as the arms, chest, belly, legs, or face. Move at a steady, comfortable pace and breathe normally.

As you tap, notice any sensations or emotions that arise. Even a few minutes of body tapping can help the body feel more alive, grounded, and relaxed.

Conclusion

Your body has been carrying emotions for a long time, often without your awareness. The moment you begin to listen and respond with care, healing starts to happen naturally.

You do not need to do everything at once. Even one small daily practice can help emotions move, release, and settle. Be patient with your body. It already knows how to let go when it feels safe.

With gentle attention and regular practice, emotional release becomes a natural part of everyday life.