Everyone heals at their own pace, but some helpful tools include:

Grounding Techniques:

Try breathing exercises, naming 5 things you see/hear/feel or holding onto something comforting.

Trauma can make you feel like you are spiraling or disconnected from the present moment. Grounding techniques help you anchor yourself to the here and now, bringing your body and mind back into safety.

Exercise: (Grounding yourself)

1. Take a deep breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, and exhale for 4

2. Name:

a. 5 things you can see

b. 4 things you can touch

c. 3 things you can hear

d. 2 things you can smell

e. 1 thing you can taste

3. Hold onto a comforting memory or object – something that reminds you of safety, happiness and calmness.

These small practices can help bring you back into the moment and calm you when you are overwhelmed.

Routine:

Maintaining daily structure (eating, sleeping, moving) supports your nervous system

Trauma activates the body’s survival response, often leaving the nervous system in a heightened state of alert. In cases of complex trauma, this state can persist. Establishing daily routines can help regulate the nervous system and reintroduce a sense of safety and predictability.

Exercise: (Settle your nervous system)

1. Set a sleeping schedule

2. Eat nourishing meals at regular intervals

3. Include movements – Gentle stretching or walking

4. Set time for yourself to rest

Talking it out:

Speak with someone you trust, whether a friend, therapist, or support group

Talking about what you’re going through may feel scary or uncomfortable, but it is the most healing thing you can do. You don’t need the “right” words to express your thoughts – simply saying “I’m not ok” is a good place to start. This will help you release the pressure that is being built inside of you.

Mindfulness Practices:

Meditation or gentle movements (walking in your favourite park) can help regulate your body’s stress response.

Alongside grounding techniques, you can practice other ways to help you reconnect your body and mind in a gentle, compassionate way. This can help you reduce symptoms of hypervigilance, anxiety, and physical tension caused by trauma.

Exercise Example: (Mindful Seeing)

1. Find a space at a window where there are sights to be seen outside.

2. Look at everything but avoid labeling and categorizing

a. Instead of saying bird notice the colours, patterns or textures.

3. Pay attention to the movement of grass or leaves in the breeze

a. Try to see the world from the perspective of someone unfamiliar to the sights.

4. Observe – do not criticize or fixate

5. If you get distracted pull yourself back by looking at colours and shapes

Remember healing is not linear as you may have the post effects of what you went through still, but it is important to give yourself patience and understanding.

Remember:

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting – it means finding safe ways to carry the pain, grow through it, and support each other in the process. You are not alone in this process and ABCoast is here to support as much as we can.