The Art of Being Unapologetically Human
Small, powerful ways to honour your emotions, celebrate your flaws, and reconnect with yourself.
Photo by Eugenia Maximova on Unsplash
Nahid de Belgeonne, “the nervous system whisperer” is an Author and somatic movement educator. She specialises in helping clients through burnout, anxiety, and trauma-related issues with The Soothe Programme - if you want to find out more, come join a Q&A on January 6th at 7pm - comment with link and it’ll be sent to you.
How are you doing this week? I have a day to go before I can stop and come to rest. I am looking forward to long walks and a snooze in front of the fire. The week ended thrillingly with a mention in Oprah Daily. I was also talking on a US podcast called Unleash Your Inner Creative (out in the New Year!), and as I spoke, something hit me: our culture shames us for showing any real human emotion.
Grief, anger, frustration—they’re all tucked away. You’re supposed to “get over” the loss of a loved one as soon as the funeral is over. We say “sorry” when our stomach growls, instead of simply saying, “I need to eat.” Boys grow up being told not to cry. Girls grow up anxious, aware of the possibility that one day a man might hurt them. We think someone who’s carrying trauma or a fear from childhood, is irretrievably damage. As if our experiences both good and bad, don’t shape us all in someway. The ongoing assaults on human beings around the world causes such anguish, the images permanently lodged in our brains.
And then there’s the exhaustion: the daily grind of keeping everything running, often at the cost of our emotional and physical well-being.
How is the world like this? Why do we accept it and why are we compelled to keep moving forward, instead of stopping to ask: why is everything built to be so anti-human?
But here’s the thing: we can choose something different. We can reconnect with our humanity, even in a world that shames us for being vulnerable. From that more rooted place, we see more clearly. A few ideas below to practise in the holidays getting you ready for a more connected New Year.
1. Acknowledge and Honour Your Feelings
Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up—joy, sadness, anger, fear. Name it, hold it gently, and remind yourself it’s all part of being human.
Lately, I’ve become a fan of writing my feelings down. It’s such a relief to get it all out of my head and onto paper. If you’re worried someone might read it (not just me, right?), rip it up when you’re done and throw it in the recycling. It’s still cathartic.
Photo by Namroud Gorguis on Unsplash
2. Let Music Be Your Outlet
Some days, I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to write. I just need to feel. That’s when I crank up the music in my glass-fronted studio and let it wash over me.
Dark skies? I’ll blast Massive Attack and let my thoughts wander. If I need to be transported, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s delicate piano does the trick. And when I want to remember the fire of being a young woman in London, it’s Nia Smith on repeat.
3. Move How Your Body Needs to Move
Shake, sway, dance, mobilise —whatever your body is asking for, give it permission to move. Words don’t always do the trick, but movement can unlock what’s stuck inside.
4. Release the Need to Perform
Stop trying to curate the perfect image. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out” or “I’m having a tough day.” Those moments of honesty are gifts to yourself and others.
5. Reframe Your Flaws
What if the things you think are “flaws” are actually what make you beautifully unique? I know myself so well now and can navigate around life by what makes me expand and what makes me contract.
Photo by Drew Dizzy Graham on Unsplash
6. Reconnect with Nature
The natural world is gloriously imperfect. Trees grow in odd shapes. Rivers carve their paths over time. Go outside and take it all in. It’s a powerful reminder that you don’t have to be perfect to be you.
7. Take a Break from “Productivity”
Push back against the culture of constant achievement by resting, daydreaming, or just doing nothing. I’ve been experimenting with 20 minutes of “not doing” after 90 minutes of intense focus—it’s now become a habit. I know this isn’t possible for everyone but could you do 20 minutes every day? Try it in the holidays and see how you get on.
8. Be Around Kind and Supportive People
Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself. If you have to interact with someone who drains you (hello, tricky family dynamics), set up a prep and after-care plan. For me, it’s all about going in with compassion and then taking a long walk afterward to let go of anything that lingers.
These aren’t just practices—they’re invitations. Invitations to come back to yourself, unapologetically human in all your beauty and complexity. Let go of the shame—it has no place in your liberation to fully realise your human potential.
What’s going on?
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Breath to Calm: 30 Days to Soothing Anxiety - 30 days to set you up with a self-practice that will, reduce your levels of anxiety and lower your baseline of reactivity. Clients on this programme are feeling less anxious, sleeping better and feeling more hopeful. £395 includes a private session to unlock your patterns of breathing. Book it here.
Retreats
The next Soothe Day retreat in London is on 18th January at £235 with a delicious gourmet vegetarian lunch. You will enjoy energising and mobilising morning practice and a deeply restorative afternoon practice. All levels are welcome, it’s a great way to start the new year. More info here.
The Lefkada Retreat on 31st May - 7th June 2025 - a full week of considered movement and breath in the sunshine. Come and recalibrate from your busy life and leave with powerful tools to transform how you respond to things. We can go deep in a full week. 2 rooms left. More info here.
Fit for ever: An evening with Phil Daoust, Chris Van Tulleken and Nahid de Belgeonne
How do we live a strong, active and happy life – whatever our age? Join us, live in London and online, as we share expert advice on how to age better, inside and out.
Date: Wednesday 12 February 2025
Times: 7.30pm-9pm (GMT)
For paid subscribers: I have uploaded a somatic lesson to soothe your soul, practise it as a way to unwind from work and step into your life.
Thank you for reading, Merry Christmas and here’s to humanity in 2025.
Nahid x
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