ChecklistTraumaMental health1 minute read
Grounding exercises you can do anywhere
Five quiet techniques for when you feel overwhelmed in public.
You do not always get to leave when it hits. These can be done on a bus, at a desk or in a queue, without anyone noticing.
Five, four, three, two, one
Name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell, and one you can taste.
Feet and seat
Press your feet into the floor. Feel the weight of your body in the chair. Notice where you are supported.
Long exhale
Breathe in for four, out for six or eight. Repeat a few times. The long breath out tells your body it can slow down.
Something in your hand
Carry a small object with texture: a stone, a key ring, a coin. Hold it and describe it to yourself in detail.
Count backwards
Count back from one hundred in sevens. It gives the busy part of your mind a job.
Practise these when you are calm, so they are easier to reach when you are not.
