Skills for Emotional Regulation/Self Soothing/Grounding

Self-soothing/Distraction items to carry

Spicy candy or gum-when our mouth salivates, it tells our body that we are no longer in fight/flight mode
Fidget toy
Stone - smooth or rigid
Scented ChapStick/lip gloss for feel and/or scent
Hair band for feel, light snaps
Beaded bracelet or necklace
Play dough for feel
Scented oil for feel and/or scent
Tiny candle for scent
lotion for feel and/or scent

Box Breathing

1.     Breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs.

2.     Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. ...

3.     Hold your breath for a count of four.

4.     Exhale for another count of four.

5.     Hold your breath again for a count of four.

6.     Repeat for three to four rounds

Mountain breathing

Open the palm of one hand wide.  With the pointer finger of your opposite hand slowly trace your fingers while breathing.  Start breathing in slowly and tracing up your thumb on your open hand. Exhale and trace down the side of the thumb towards the pointer finger.  Inhale deeply while moving up the pointer to trace back down while exhaling.   Continue for the remaining fingers. And then go backwards if still not regulated/grounded, repeat as needed.

Progressive Muscle relaxation

Tense each muscle group one at a time noticing the feeling of tension. Exhale. Say the word relaxed (or something that feels more appropriate for you) to yourself. As you relax the muscles, notice the feeling of letting go. When you first tense muscles before relaxing them, your muscles release more deeply than with relaxing alone. If your mind drifts away during this meditation gently, bring yourself back to the practice without judgment. 

Physical Distraction/Release

TIP the Temperature: Tip the temperature of your face with ice water (to calm down fast). Hold your breath, put the top part of your face (not your mouth) in a bowl of ice water, or hold an ice pack on your eyes and forehead. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds (pay attention to avoid burning yourself from the cold)  and then breathe for 10-30 seconds, repeat until feeling more grounded/calm. You can also do this with an ice pack on your forehead, a bowl of water and ice or holding an ice cube in your hand. Another option is taking a cold shower.

Intense Exercise: do something that you can do with no equipment, in a small space to get the overwhelming feelings to settle: push-ups, planks, sit ups, jumping jacks, shadow boxing etc.

Remember that it will pass

During a panic attack, it can help to remember that these feelings will pass and cause no physical harm, however scary it feels at the time.

Try acknowledging that this is a brief period of concentrated anxiety, and that it will be over soon.

Panic attacks tend to reach their most intense point within 10 minutes of their onset, and then the symptoms will begin to subside.

Focus on an object

When a person becomes overwhelmed with distressing thoughts, feelings, or memories, concentrating on something physical in the environment can help them feel grounded.

Focusing on one stimulus can reduce other stimuli. As the person looks at the item, they may want to think about how it feels, who made it, and what shape it is. This technique can help reduce the symptoms of a panic attack.

If the person has recurring panic attacks, they can carry a specific familiar object to help ground them. This may be something like a smooth stone, a seashell, a small toy, or a hair clip.

Repeating a Mantra

A mantra is a word, phrase, or sound that helps with focus and provides strength. Internally repeating a mantra can help a person come out of a panic attack or ruminations

The mantra can take the form of reassurance and may be as simple as, “This too shall pass” “I’m human” “I’m strong”

As the person focuses on gently repeating a mantra, their physical responses will slow, allowing them to regulate their breathing and relax their muscle and move onto other thoughts/feelings.

Trigger Happy Chemicals

Put a clean pencil/pen in mouth where the eraser is coming out once side of your lips and the tip coming out the other side and try to smile

Fake laugh in the mirror or with a friend until you are actually laughing

Watch cute or funny short videos to trigger happy brain chemicals

 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

Using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, you will purposefully take in the details of your surroundings using each of your senses. Strive to notice small details that your mind would usually tune out, such as distant sounds, or the texture of an ordinary object.

1.     What are 5 things you can see? Look for small details such as a pattern on the ceiling, the way light reflects off a surface, or an object you never noticed.

2.     What are 4 things you can feel? Notice the sensation of clothing on your body, the sun on your skin, or the feeling of the chair you are sitting in. Pick up an object and examine its weight, texture, and other physical qualities.

3.     What are 3 things you can hear? Pay special attention to the sounds your mind has tuned out, such as a ticking clock, distant traffic, or trees blowing in the wind.

4.     What are 2 things you can smell? Try to notice smells in the air around you, like an air freshener or freshly mowed grass. You may also look around for something that has a scent, such as a flower or an unlit candle.

5.     What is 1 thing you can taste? Carry gum, candy, or small snacks for this step. Pop one in your mouth and focus your attention closely on the flavors

Categories

Choose at least three of the categories below and name as many items as you can in each one. Spend a few minutes on each category to come up with as many items as possible.

Movies   Countries   Books   Cereals   Singers   Colors   Cars Fruits & Vegetables   Animals   Cities   TV Shows

For a variation on this activity, try naming items in a category alphabetically. For example, for the fruits & vegetables category, say “apple, banana, carrot,” and so on