The Hospital
I need help NOW:Physical Grounding:
- Run cool or warm water over your hands- Grab tightly onto your chair as hard as you can
- Touch various objects around you: a pen, keys, your clothing, the wall…
- Dig your heels into the floor- literally “grounding” them. Notice the tension centered in your heels as you do this. Remind yourself that you are connected to the ground.
- Carry a grounding object in your pocket which you can touch when ever you feel triggered.
- Jump up and down
- Notice your body: the weight of your body in the chair; wiggle your toes in your socks; the feel of your chair against your back…
- Stretch. Roll your head around; extend your fingers…
- Clench and release your fists.
- Walk slowly; notice each footstep, saying “left” or “right”
- Eat something, describing the flavors in detail to yourself
- Focus on your breathing, notice each inhale an exhale.
Belly Breathing Guide
Sit upright in a comfortable chair with your feet placed side by side on the floor. Close your eyes.Place one hand on your belly, with your pinky finger just above your belly button.
Start to pay attention to the rise and fall of your belly. What you are feeling is your diaphragm, working to draw air in and out of your lungs.
Notice that as you breathe in, it feels like a balloon is being filled with your hand. As you breathe out it should feel like the balloon is deflating.
Place your other hand on your chest. You will want to try to keep this hand as still as possible and to just let the diaphragm do all of the work of breathing. While you are at it, keep your shoulders relaxed — you don't need your shoulders to breathe!
Inhale slowly to the count of three.
Then exhale slowly to the count of three, thinking the word "relax" as you do so.
Stay focused on the action of your diaphragm. Your bottom hand should move outward as you fill your lungs with air and move inward as you exhale.
Other Helpful Links and Tips for Right Now:
grounding techniques!!
softheartclinic, i recommend the entire site as a whole but this part in particular focuses on comfort :)
more mh resources!
another good page of resources
checkpoint carrd! has a bunch of resources, i recommend the entire carrd
a bunch of calming gifs like the cat below! vvv
I need help in the FUTURE:
My top tip for mental health is to run this guide when you're Not Sure why you feel bad! It runs through a lot of physical problems that can cause poor mental health, as well as mental things.
Creation of a 'grounding box' can also help - objects and tools that might be useful for future moments of panic/depression/etc. These can be both sensory (fidgets, headphones, etc) as well as theraputic - print out therapy worksheets if you think they'll help!