Today's Word 👉 Somatization

Expressing psychological distress or emotional conflict through physical symptoms

September 25, 2025

In partnership with

Take a minute and get one word smarter. Yes, only a minute!

Somatization (soh-muh-tih-ZAY-shun) (noun): The process by which psychological distress or trauma shows up as physical symptoms—like headaches, fatigue, or pain—with no clear medical cause.

“The pain was real, but only rarely did it begin in the body. It took me years to learn that suffering doesn’t always wear the face we expect.”

Published in 2019

In I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying, Nigerian-American writer and spoken word artist Bassey Ikpi invites readers inside her lived experience with bipolar II disorder and anxiety. She vividly illustrates how emotions and psychic pain can manifest in the body—reminding us that mental and physical health are deeply intertwined.

SMARTER INSIGHT
Somatization is more common than most people realize, and it’s not “all in your head.” Understanding this connection can help reduce shame, improve empathy, and spark conversations that lead to real healing.

USE IT TODAY
Check in with your body: Is there discomfort or pain that showed up when you were feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Pause and gently ask yourself what your body might be telling you.

Help Us Get Slightly Smarter

How did you like today's email?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

MORNING BREW

Business as usual? No thanks.

The problem with most business news? It’s too long, too boring, and way too complicated.

Morning Brew fixes all three. In five minutes or less, you’ll catch up on the business, finance, and tech stories that actually matter—written with clarity and just enough humor to keep things interesting.

It’s quick. It’s free. And it’s how over 4 million professionals start their day. Signing up takes less than 15 seconds—and if you’d rather stick with dense, jargon-packed business news, you can always unsubscribe.

1440 MEDIA

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

ROKU

It’s go-time for holiday campaigns

Roku Ads Manager makes it easy to extend your Q4 campaign to performance CTV.

You can:

  • Easily launch self-serve CTV ads

  • Repurpose your social content for TV

  • Drive purchases directly on-screen with shoppable ads

  • A/B test to discover your most effective offers

The holidays only come once a year. Get started now with a $500 ad credit when you spend your first $500 today with code: ROKUADS500. Terms apply.