Pivoting: What Happens in the Body When Life Asks Us to Change

Sometimes change is something we actively choose. We decide to leave a job, start something new, change a relationship, move somewhere different or finally make a decision we’ve been circling for months.

At other times, change arrives without our permission. A role changes, a relationship ends, circumstances shift, an organisation restructures or something we had assumed would remain steady suddenly doesn’t.

In some instances we know, intellectually, that something needs to change, but still find ourselves struggling to move towards it.

This is something I often explore with people in coaching. They can be clear about what they want, sometimes even excited about it, yet something seems to hold them back. There can be procrastination, doubt, overthinking or a sense of being unable to take the next step.

From a somatic perspective, I’m often paying attention to what might be happening beneath the thinking.

Change isn’t just a cognitive process

We often approach change as though it is simply a matter of making a decision. Work out what you want, make a plan and then take action.

But our bodies are part of the process too.

When something changes, even when the change is positive, we are moving away from what is familiar. Our bodies have developed patterns and expectations around the environments, people and routines we know, which give us a sense of predictability.

When that predictability changes, we may experience a physical response before we have fully understood what is happening.

We might feel tense or unsettled. Our thoughts might speed up. We might become hyper-focused on getting everything right. Equally, we might feel heavy, disconnected or unable to get started.

These responses don’t necessarily mean that we’ve made the wrong decision.

Sometimes they are simply part of adapting to something unfamiliar.

The body can hold on to what the mind has decided to leave

We can make a conscious decision to move forward while another part of our experience is still adjusting to the change.

Perhaps we know we need to set a boundary, but notice ourselves becoming anxious when we imagine doing it.

Perhaps we’re excited about a new opportunity, but alongside that excitement there is a tightness in the chest or a sense of wanting to retreat.

We don’t need to interpret these responses as evidence that we shouldn’t move forward.

Instead, we can become curious about them.

What is familiar here? What feels uncertain? What might I be leaving behind? What would help me feel more supported as I move into something new?

This is one of the reasons I don’t see embodied action as simply “listening to your body and doing whatever it tells you.” Our bodies can respond to change in complex ways. Something unfamiliar can feel uncomfortable even when it is deeply aligned with who we are becoming.

The work is often in developing enough awareness to stay present with that discomfort without allowing it to automatically make the decision for us.

Pivoting doesn’t mean starting again

I like the word pivot because it suggests movement without suggesting that everything has to be abandoned.

A pivot can involve drawing on what we’ve already learned while changing direction. It can be a small adjustment rather than a dramatic reinvention.

In coaching, this might mean helping someone recognise what they want to plant now and what they are ready to compost and leave behind.

Our experience matters. The skills we’ve developed matter. The relationships we’ve built matter. Even the things that didn’t work can offer information.

Sometimes the next step is simply a slight turning.

Making change sustainable

When we understand change as something that involves the whole person, we can approach it with a little more compassion.

Rather than interpreting nervousness as a sign that we shouldn’t move forward, we can notice it and give ourselves time to understand what it might be connected to.

We have different seasons of life. Our capacity changes. Our bodies respond to what we experience. And sometimes living in alignment requires us to notice that something needs to shift.

Pivoting is not always about having a clear five-year plan.

Sometimes it is about being willing to turn towards what is calling our attention, while staying connected to ourselves as we do it.

For me, that is a big part of embodied action. Not simply knowing what matters to us, but developing the awareness and capacity to move towards it in a way that feels sustainable.

Something to reflect on: What change are you currently navigating, whether chosen or unexpected?

What would it look like to take the next step while making space for both the uncertainty and the possibility that change brings?