The Grounding Toolkit

Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can touch, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. Move slowly and say them out loud if you can.

Gives the thinking brain a simple sensory task, pulling you out of the spiral and into the room.

Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4. Trace a square with your finger as you go. Repeat four rounds.

A slow, even breath signals safety to the nervous system and brings your heart rate down.

Press both feet flat into the ground. Feel the support beneath you. Look slowly around and name, silently, exactly where you are.

Orienting to your surroundings tells the body the danger is not here, and not now.

Hold something cold: an ice cube, a chilled glass, cool water on your wrists or face. Notice the sensation fully.

A sudden temperature change interrupts an emotional spiral and brings you back into your body.

Cross your arms over your chest, hands on opposite shoulders. Tap slowly, left then right, like a heartbeat, for a minute or two.

Gentle left-right movement is naturally calming. It’s the same principle behind EMDR.

Say aloud: today’s date, where you are, how old you are now, and one thing that proves you are safe in this moment.

Reminds a brain stuck in the past that the past is over. You survived it.

Rest a hand on your chest. Breathe in gently, then make your exhale about twice as long as your inhale. Repeat for a minute.

A longer exhale switches on the body’s natural brake: the parasympathetic nervous system.

Stand up and shake out your hands, arms, and legs for 30 seconds. Or press your palms firmly against a wall and push.

Discharges the adrenaline that builds up when the body is activated but has nowhere to go.