Capacity and Capability: A Somatic Perspective

One of the things I find myself returning to again and again in my coaching is the difference between capability and capacity. We often use the two words interchangeably, but I think there is something important in separating them, particularly when we are thinking about wellbeing, resilience and how we sustain ourselves over time.

Capability is what we know how to do. It is our knowledge, experience, skills and competence. It is all the things we have learned through work, relationships, life experience and the challenges we have already navigated.

Capacity is different. Capacity is what we have available to us at a particular moment to meet what is being asked of us. It can be physical, emotional, cognitive and relational. Unlike capability, it is something that changes according to what else we might be carrying, how much recovery we have had, what support is around us and what is happening in our lives. This could be so different month by month.

This distinction can be particularly important for people who are used to being capable, and always tuned in and on.

I work with many people who have a strong sense of themselves as someone who can make things happen. They are resourceful, responsible and good at finding a way through. They have often built careers and lives around their ability to respond to challenges and keep things moving.

But sometimes the very capability that has served them well can make it difficult to recognise when their capacity is changing.

They know they can do something, because they have done it before. They know they have the skills. They know they are capable. So when something starts to feel harder, they sometimes interpret this as a personal failing rather than recognising that they may simply have less capacity available right now.

From a somatic perspective, this is where becoming more aware of the body can be useful.

The body gives us information about capacity

In my coaching, I am interested in what happens when we slow down enough to notice the relationship between our internal experience and what is happening around us.

Someone might tell me that they are managing well, while noticing that their shoulders have been tense for weeks, their sleep has changed or they are finding it increasingly difficult to switch off. Someone else might describe themselves as lacking motivation, but with a little more space, they begin to recognise just how depleted they have become.

These physical responses don’t provide a simple diagnostic tool, and I don’t believe every sensation has a particular meaning that needs to be analysed. Rather, they can give us useful information and data about our experience.

When we develop greater body awareness, we can become more familiar with our own patterns. We might notice what activation feels like for us, what happens when we are approaching our limits, and what it feels like when we have more space, energy or ease available.

That awareness can create more choice.

Capability doesn’t mean unlimited capacity

Unfortunately we often celebrate people who can manage a lot, take on more responsibility and keep performing under pressure.

But being capable of something doesn’t mean we should always be doing it.

There are times when we have plenty of capacity available. We might be rested, connected, supported and energised. We can think creatively, respond to complexity and navigate challenges without feeling as though every additional demand is stretching us.

At other times, our capacity is lower. We might have been working at a demanding pace, caring for someone, going through a period of uncertainty or simply not having had enough opportunity to recover. Our capabilities haven’t disappeared, but accessing them may require much more from us.

This is why I think it can be unhelpful to ask ourselves only, “Can I do this?”

A more useful question might be, “What will it take from me to do this at this point in my life?”

That question brings sustainability into the conversation.

Capacity is influenced by context

It is also important to say that capacity isn’t solely an individual responsibility.

Our bodies and nervous systems don’t exist separately from the environments we inhabit. Our capacity is influenced by our relationships, our working conditions, financial circumstances, levels of support, sense of safety and the amount of choice we have.

If someone is consistently working beyond their limits because their workload is unrealistic, telling them to become more resilient isn’t necessarily the answer. They may need more resources, a different work pattern or a change in the circumstances creating the strain.

This is one reason I am cautious about approaches to wellbeing that place all the responsibility on the individual. Somatic awareness can help us notice what is happening within ourselves, but it can also help us recognise when something outside ourselves needs attention.

Sometimes the most embodied response is not to regulate ourselves so that we can tolerate more. Sometimes it is to acknowledge that something isn’t sustainable and consider what needs to change.

Making room for both capability and capacity

For me, resilience is becoming less about how much we can withstand and more about how well we can stay connected to ourselves while responding to what life asks of us.

That includes recognising our capabilities and valuing what we can do. But it also means developing enough awareness to recognise when our current capacity doesn’t match the demands being placed upon us.

There can be a lot of freedom in allowing both things to be true: I am capable of this, and I don’t have the capacity for it right now.

That isn’t failure. It isn’t necessarily a lack of ambition or resilience. It may simply be an honest assessment of what is available to us at this point in time.

Perhaps sustainable wellbeing is about developing a more honest relationship with our capacity, so that we can use our capabilities without continually depleting ourselves in the process.

Something to reflect on: Where might you be asking more of yourself than you currently have capacity for?

And what might become possible if you allowed your body’s experience to be part of the conversation about what you take on, rather than something you have to push past?