Grounding and Resourcing Tools

Grounding:

The 5-4-3-2-1- grounding technique is a great way to cultivate mindful awareness during times of stress, anxiety, and panic.

1. Notice five objects that you can see. Really take them in as though you are seeing them for the first time.

2. Listen for four sounds. First, notice the sounds that are more distant from you, then focus on the sounds closer to you.

3. Touch three things. This could be a nearby mug or glass, the fabric of your clothing, or the furniture you are sitting on.

4. Notice two things that you can smell, such as a cup of coffee or a piece of fruit.

5. Be aware of the taste in your mouth, or take small bite or sip of something and notice the flavors.

Temperature, Smell, Texture, or Pressure Change — shifts nervous system quickly, can reduce anxiety or emotional dysregulation

Try any of the following:

  • Press your hands into the wall and your feet firmly into the floor

  • Press your back into a door, press the back of the head into the door

  • Hold an ice cube

  • Lie down with a weighted blanket on top of you

  • Lie on the floor in “star pose” — with your arms out of the sides and your feet wide apart

  • Hold a warm mug of tea or coffee and feel it’s weight and temperature

  • Drink a warm or cool beverage

  • Breathe in aromatherapy scents or a strong scent (a piece of fruit, herbs, flowers, aftershave, etc.)

  • Hold on to a rock or stone and feel its weight and texture

  • Take a hot or cold shower

  • Walk barefoot in the grass

Resourcing:

Personal Resource:

Call your attention to something that brings you a sense of peace, calm, or happiness. This could be a person, place, object, animal, or a spiritual belief. Think of at least three details about this resource, and notice what happens inside your body as you invite in the sensations associated with this resource. Rest in this awareness for as long as feels comfortable.

Shift and Stay (from Trauma Resiliency Model):

  1. Notice a part of your body that feels neutral or pleasant—like your feet on the floor, your little toe, or your hands resting in your lap.

  2. Gently focus your attention on that sensation.

  3. Stay with it for a few moments without trying to change it.

  4. If your mind wanders, bring your attention back to the sensation.

  5. Notice any changes in how your body or mind feels.

Supportive Figure Resource:

  1. Think of someone or something that feels safe and supportive—a person, an animal, or a symbolic figure. This could also be a wise figure, nurturing figure, or a protective figure.

  2. Notice how they look, sound, or feel to you.

  3. Imagine what they might say or do to support you.

  4. Pay attention to where you feel their support in your body.

  5. Remember this feeling—you can return to it whenever you need comfort.

Safe Space Resource:

  1. Imagine a place where you feel safe and calm. If that’s not available to you, it could be a place where you feel neutral. This place can be real or imaginary.

  2. Notice what you can see, hear, smell, or touch. What are your hands and feet doing?

  3. Notice how your body feels in this safe place. What its he temperature of your skin? How does the air feel on your skin?

  4. Stay there for as long as feels comfortable.

  5. When you’re ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the present while keeping a sense of safety or neutrality with you.

Self Soothing Gesture:

This is unique to you. What feels comforting? Some ideas might be a hand on the heart or navel, arms crossed with hands on opposite shoulders, one hand on the forehead and another hand at the nape of the neck.

Breathing Techniques

Left nostril breathing (for calm and focus):

Left nostril breathing connects us to the right hemisphere of the brain, and can help us quickly calm down and relax.

How to do it: Sit tall and block off your right nostril with the thumb of your right hand. Breathe long, slow, and deep through the left nostril for 1-3 minutes.

Right nostril breathing (for energy and clarity):

Right nostril breathing connects us to the left hemisphere of the brain, and can give us a boost of energy as well as aid in our ability to focus.

How to do it: Sit tall and block off your left nostril with the thumb on your left hand. Breathe long, slow, and deep through the right nostril for 1-3 minutes.

Alternate Nostril Breathing - for balance, neutral mind, calming down traumatic stress:

Alternate Nostril Breathing helps relax both the body and the mind. By activating both hemispheres of the brain, it can aid in developing more integrated brain function, helping us to feel more calm, regulated, and focused. 

  1. Sit tall. Lift your right hand up towards your face. 

  2. Close your right nostril with your right thumb and inhale slowly through your left nostril. 

  3. Close your left nostril with your fingers and exhale through your right nostril. 

  4. Keeping the left nostril closed, inhale through your right nostril. 

  5. Close the right nostril and exhale through your left nostril. 

  6. Continue steps 2-5 for 3 minutes or for whatever length of time feels appropriate for you. 

Box Breathing — Can help reduce anxiety, panic, and improve concentration and focus:

  1. Inhale through your nose while you slowly count to 4.

  2. Hold your breath in while you slowly count to 4.

  3. Exhale through your nose as you slowly count to 4.

  4. Hold your breath out as you slowly count to 4.

  5. Repeat 4-5 times or for as long as feels comfortable for you. 

4-7-8 Breath — encourages relaxation and relieves stress:

  1. Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.

  2. Hold your breath in for 7 counts.

  3. Purse your lips and exhale through your mouth for 8 counts, making a slight whooshing sound.

  4. Repeat this cycle 4-5 times. 

Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing) — for calming down, alleviating stress, activating the parasympathetic nervous system:

  1. Lie down on your back with a pillow under your head and a pillow under your knees. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. 

  2. Inhale slowly through your nose, feeling the air move downward as your belly expands. 

  3. Exhale slowly through your nose, feeling the belly gently releasing back down toward your spine. 

  4. On both the inhale and the exhale, the chest should remain relatively still. 

  5. Continue for 1-5 minutes or for whatever length of time feels right to you.

Sitali Pranayam or “Cooling Breath” — used for relieving anger and frustration

Sit tall. Stick out your tongue and curl your tongue. If you can’t curl your tongue, round your mouth as though you are sipping through a straw. Inhale through a curled tongue and slowly exhale through your nose. Continue 1-3 minutes.

Three Part Breathing — for connecting to your body and calming the nervous system

  1. Lie down on your back with a pillow under your head and a pillow under your knees. 

  2. Place your hands on your lower abdomen. Breathe into your belly, feeling it expand on the inhale, and contract on the exhale. Continue for 3 breaths. 

  3. Place your hands on either side of your rib cage. Feel your ribs expand out to the sides as you inhale, and contract back towards each other as you exhale. Continue for 3 breaths. 

  4. Place your hands on your chest. Breathe in and out of your chest, feeling expansion and contraction across your upper chest and sternum. Continue for 3 breaths. 

  5. Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. On one breath, inhale and breathe into your belly, then your ribs, and then your chest. Gently pause with the breath held in. 

  6. Slowly exhale and release the chest, then the ribs, then the belly. Continue for 3 breaths.  

Long Exhales – for relaxation, relieving insomnia, calming down

  1. Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 4.

  2. Inhale for 4, exhale for 5.

  3. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6 and so on.

  4. Continue for up to 12 counts on the exhale.

    Somatic and Movement Tools:

Somatic Shaking — for releasing tension and stress, completing stress response, body awareness

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.

  2. Begin gently bouncing or shaking your legs.

  3. Let the movement travel upward through hips, torso, arms, and head.

  4. Breathe naturally and allow the body to shake freely.

  5. Continue 1–3 minutes, then slow to stillness and notice sensations.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation — releases muscular tension, increases relaxation, releases stress

  1. Sit or lie down comfortably.

  2. Inhale and tense one muscle group (e.g. squeeze all muscles of the face) for 5 seconds.

  3. Exhale and fully release the tension for 10 seconds.

  4. Move downward through the body (shoulders, arms, hands, belly, legs, feet).

  5. Take a few long, slow breaths, noticing any change in the body.

Havening — good for self soothing, regulating nervous system

  1. Sit comfortably and cross your arms over your chest.

  2. Gently stroke your upper arms from shoulders to elbows.

  3. Breathe slowly while humming or counting softly.

  4. Continue for 1–2 minutes.

  5. Pause and notice any shift in calm or body sensations.

    Other versions to try: sweep fingers from the brow point above the eyebrows to the temples, sweep fingers from the scalp to the sides of the face and neck

Breath of Joy — for energy and releasing stress

Breath of Joy is a simple, yoga-inspired exercise that is designed to invigorate and recharge the entire body.

  1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart and parallel. Soften your knees so that they are slightly bent.

  2. Inhale one-third of your lung capacity and swing your arms up to shoulder height, with your palms facing up.

  3. Continue inhaling to two-thirds capacity and swing your arms out to the side in a “T” shape, keeping the arms at shoulder level.

  4. Inhale to full lung capacity and swing your arms parallel and above your head (palms face each other).

  5. Exhale completely with a “haaaaa” sound. As you do so, bend your knees, fold over your legs, and let the arms swing slightly back behind you.

  6. Repeat several times and be mindful to move in a range that feels safe and appropriate for your body.

Butterfly Hug — good for self soothing, integrated brain function, calming down

Cross your arms over your chest and gently tap or squeeze one arm at a time in an alternating rhythm.

Isometric Holds - helps release stress and tension

Gently contract a muscle group (such as pressing palms together or pushing feet into the floor) for 5–10 seconds, then slowly release.

Bilateral Movements — good for stress relief, nervous system regulation, anxiety management

Practice alternating movements that engage both sides of the body, such as:

Crosscrawls #1: Standing tall — inhale right arm up and left knee up at the same time, exhale down. Then inhale left arm and right knee up, exhale down. Alternate sides.

Crosscrawls #2: Lie on back. Inhale up right arm and left leg, exhale down. Inhale up left arm and right leg, exhale down. (Modify with bent knees if needed).

Neck/Arm stretch: Inhale left arm up, head turns right. Exhale hand down, head returns center. Inhale right arm up, head turns left. Exhale hand down, head returns center.

Standing Twists: Stand with feet a comfortable distance apart. Place the right hand at the center of the chest and draw the left arm to the side. Inhale as you twist left, exhale as you twist right (changing the position of the arms so that left hand is on the heart, right hand it out of the side).

Windmills: Stand with the feet a comfortable wide-legged distance apart. Extend both arms out to the sides with the palms facing down. Inhale, and draw your right hand towards your left ankle. Inhale back to center with both arms extended out to the sides. Exhale and switch sides. Repeat several times.

Calming mudra — for calming and focusing the mind:

On an inhale, slide the thumbs from the base of the first fingers to the tips of the first fingers. On an exhale, slide the thumbs from the tips of the first fingers back to the base of the first fingers. Switch to the middle finger, and continue this process for each finger.

Yoga Poses:

Every person is unique, but many people find the following poses helpful:

For relaxation:

  • Cat/Cow

  • Knees to Chest

  • Supine twists

For grounding:

  • Warrior I

  • Warrior II

  • Goddess Pose

  • Tree Pose

  • Chair Pose

For reducing anxiety and insomnia:

  • Child’s pose

  • Legs-up-the-wall

  • Supported twist with a bolster

  • Forward folds

Meditation and Vagus Nerve Exercises:

Humming - Helps calm the nervous system and improve focus

  1. Sit or lie comfortably.

  2. Take a slow inhale through your nose.

  3. Exhale while humming gently, noticing vibrations in your chest and throat.

  4. Continue for 1–3 minutes.

  5. If your mind wanders, gently bring attention back to the humming.

Bee’s Breath — good for relaxation, releases tension, activates vagus nerve

  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.

  2. Close your eyes and take a deep inhale.

  3. Exhale slowly while making a soft “mmm” or buzzing sound like a bee.

  4. Focus on the vibration in your throat and chest.

  5. Repeat 5–10 times, breathing naturally between exhales.

Chanting - good for calming, grounding, mental focus, emotional regulation, actives vagus nerve

“Om”, “Vu”, “Hum” – simple grounding chants

“So Hum” – means “I am that,” supports presence and grounding

“Ha – ha – ha” — rhythmic exhale sound that encourages lightness, humor, builds energy

How to practice:

  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.

  2. Inhale slowly through the nose.

  3. Exhale while softly chanting your chosen sound or phrase.

  4. Repeat for 1–5 minutes, noticing how your body feels.

Meditation: Draw the palms out in front of you, palms face up. Chant the syllables “AH OOH UM” while moving the palms up and down (i.e. right hand rises up a few inches, left hand draws down a few inches — continue to alternate sides). Continue 3-5 minutes.

Emotional Regulation

RAIN (brief version from Tara Brach) — good for emotional regulation, self compassion, increasing body awareness

  • Recognize what you’re feeling

  • Allow it to be there without resistance

  • Investigate with curiosity (Where do I feel this in my body?)

  • Nurture with kindness or reassurance

    Please visit Tara Brach’s site www.tarabrach.com for more practices and resources.

Opposite Action:

When anxiety urges avoidance, take a small step in the opposite direction (for example, staying present instead of escaping). This helps retrain the nervous system and reduce anxiety over time. You can also try taking a contrary viewpoint as well.

Self-Compassion:

Offer yourself kind, supportive phrases such as:

  • “This is hard, and I’m doing my best.”

  • “I’m allowed to feel this and still be okay.”

  • “I can be kind to myself while this passes.”

Please visit Kristin Neff’s site www.self-compassion.org for more practices/resources.