15/11/2025
Why Trauma Survivors Rub Their Feet Together While Resting
If you’ve ever noticed someone gently rubbing their feet together while lying down, you might be seeing something deeper than a habit. It’s called “cricketing,” and it’s a subconscious way the body soothes itself after trauma.
When someone experiences trauma, their nervous system can become stuck in a constant state of alert. Even when they’re safe, their body still searches for signals of comfort. The repetitive motion of rubbing the feet together creates rhythm and grounding, a quiet message to the brain that says, “You’re safe now.”
This movement activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the part responsible for calming and regulating the body. It lowers heart rate, releases tension, and slowly helps the nervous system settle after being on high alert for too long.
Cricketing isn’t something a person chooses to do consciously, it’s the body’s natural intelligence at work. The same instinct that makes us shiver when cold or yawn when tired helps trauma survivors find physical relief when words or logic can’t.
It’s a small, remarkable reminder that the body remembers pain but also knows how to heal. Sometimes, healing starts with something as simple as the soft brush of your own feet finding peace.
