GROUNDING TOOLKIT

Grounding Toolkit: A Gentle Guide

Why Have a Grounding Toolkit?

  • Strengthens your nervous system’s response to stress

  • Helps you feel more prepared during emotional waves

  • Offers comfort and familiarity when you need it most

  • Practicing ahead of time helps your nervous system respond with more ease and familiarity.

  • These tools offer reassurance and stability in moments of overwhelm or emotional activation.

What to Include in Your Toolkit

Soothing Sensory Items

  • A soft blanket, textured fabric, or stuffed animal to hold

  • A smooth or textured stone that fits in your palm

  • Stress ball or fidget tool to help focus and release energy

  • Scented candles or essential oils (lavender and peppermint are often calming)

Creative & Reflective Tools

  • A journal for writing, drawing, or reflecting

  • A gratitude list or photos of three things you appreciate in the moment

  • Comforting objects or photos that bring a sense of peace or safety

Client-Tested Favorites

  • A Slinky, putty, or mini Etch A Sketch

  • Warm or cool items like a heating pad or a chilled stone

  • Glitter jars or incense to stimulate calming sensory input

Grounding Techniques to Practice

Breathwork

  • Inhale deeply, hold for 4 seconds, then exhale slowly for 8

  • Repeat as needed to invite calm and reconnect with your body

Loving-Kindness Meditation

  • Repeat phrases gently:

    • "May I be safe."

    • "May I be well."

    • "May I be at ease."

  • When ready, extend these wishes to others in your life

Mindfulness Check-In

  • Ask yourself: What are 3 things I can see, hear, and touch?

  • Grounding phrases to say aloud or internally:

    • "I feel my feet on the ground."

    • "I feel the support of my seat beneath me."

Gratitude Practice

  • Write down or name 3 things you feel grateful for each day

  • A simple way to shift attention toward what supports and sustains you

Self-Compassion Journaling

  • Gently express any difficult thoughts or feelings

  • Reframe them as if speaking to a loved one or trusted friend

Thought Reframing

  • Notice your thoughts without judgment

  • Validate what you’re feeling

  • Explore a gentler, more compassionate interpretation

Examples:

  • "I failed, so I am a failure." → "This didn’t go how I hoped, but I’m learning."

  • "I shouldn’t feel this way." → "These feelings are valid. It’s okay to feel."

  • "I’ll never be good at this." → "I’m in the process of learning. Growth takes time."

FOR MORE EXAMPLES OF REFRAMING THOUGHTS CLICK HERE

Movement & Body-Based Support

Mindful Walk

  • Walk with awareness of your body and surroundings

  • Let your senses guide your attention gently back to the present

Dance or Rhythmic Movement

  • Move in ways that feel freeing or comforting

  • Use music to shift energy or release tension

Compassionate Body Posture

  • Place a hand over your heart and breathe slowly

  • Offer yourself warmth and self-kindness through physical touch

Body Scan Meditation

  • Bring gentle attention from your toes to the top of your head

  • Notice sensations without trying to change them

Reminder: Your grounding toolkit is yours to shape. You don’t have to use everything all at once. Start with a few practices or items that feel supportive now. Let this be a space you can return to—a space of choice, care, and self-trust.