Resource
Glitter Jar
In a bottle add water, glue, glitter and, color!
mix well and voila !! you have a jar buddy that helps you calm down
Fidget Aid
Find any object that helps soothe your nervous! a pen, fidget spinner, cube, or a plushiee.
Talk
Talk to your friends/family
The ability to share one’s emotions with near and dear ones helps us understand our concerns better and get a new perspective as well
Body Awareness
The body awareness technique will bring you into the here-and-now by directing your focus to sensations in the body. Pay special attention to the physical sensations created by each step.
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Take 5 long, deep breaths through your nose, and exhale through puckered lips.
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Place both feet flat on the floor. Wiggle your toes. Curl and uncurl your toes several times. Spend a moment noticing the sensations in your feet.
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Stomp your feet on the ground several times. Pay attention to the sensations in your feet and legs as you make contact with the ground.
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Clench your hands into fists, then release the tension. Repeat this 10 times.
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Press your palms together. Press them harder and hold this pose for 15 seconds. Pay attention to the feeling of tension in your hands and arms.
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Rub your palms together briskly. Notice and sound and the feeling of warmth.
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Reach your hands over your head like you’re trying to reach the sky. Stretch like this for 5 seconds. Bring your arms down and let them relax at your sides.
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Take 5 more deep breaths and notice the feeling of calm in your body.
5-4-3-2-1
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Journal!
o develop a practice of journaling everyday, it doesn’t have to have a structure but treat your journal like your best friend and tell your journal all about your day, your emotions and even those things you wouldn’t deem to share with anyone else.
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
Sports Teams
Colors
Cars
Fruits & Vegetables
Animals
Cities
TV Shows
Famous People
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.
Ritual
Come up with a Pre-therapy and Post-therapy ritual
Our daily lives can be pretty chaotic and jumping in and out of therapy could be futile as you may carry over your emotional experience of the previous task to the next one. Therefore we recommend you to form a 15 minutes (take more please!) routine before and after your session, you can grab your favourite coffee, meditate, take a walk or even the most scrumptious chocolate cake and sit with your thoughts and emotions. It could even help if you scribbled your thoughts down in your notes app post therapy, it’s up to you.
Walks
When there are emotions bubbling up, a walk or a jog by yourself with music and greenery around you can help you modulate and understand your emotions better and even reduce your stress levels.
Mental Exercises
Use mental exercises to take your mind off uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. They are discreet and easy to use at nearly any time or place. Experiment to see which works best for you.
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Name all the objects you can see.
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Describe the steps in performing an activity you know how to do well. For example, prepare your favorite meal, your morning routine or tie a knot.
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Count backwards from 100 by 8.
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Pick up an object and describe it in detail. Describe its color, texture, size, weight, scent, and any other qualities you notice.
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Spell your full name, and the names of three other people, backwards.
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Name all your family members, their ages, and one of their favorite activities.
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Read something backwards, letter-by-letter. Practice for at least a few minutes.
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Think of an object and “draw” it in your mind, or in the air with your finger. Try drawing your home, a vehicle, or an animal.
Photos by Sakshi Krishna
Disclamer
We are not a medical service, emergency service or suicide prevention helpline. If you are in need of emergency services, call and get the appropriate help you seek.
Medical Emergency numbers
112, 108 and 102 (India),
112 and 999 (UK),
112 (EU),
911 (US),
112 and 911 (CA)