When you’re thinking and feeling

many things all at once,

You can try grounding techniques to help you pull away from the distress you're
experiencing to refocus and connect with the present moment.

• Simple breathing exercise

‣ Sit comfortably.
‣ Take a deep breath in and hold it for 5 seconds.
‣ Breath out slowly to a count of 5.
‣ As you breathe out, concentrate on expelling all the air in your lungs.
‣ Continue breathing in and out and count slowly to elongate the breathing out
each time.

When your heart is racing and

you're breathing fast,
Sometimes paying attention to your breath may not be helpful. Here are some
other grounding techniques you can try:

• Engage your senses

‣ Vision - Pay attention to something you find beautiful, like a photo or video
‣ Hearing - Listen to something enjoyable, music, the sounds of nature
‣ Touch - Take a warm bath, give yourself a massage, feel something soft
‣ Taste - Have a small treat, eat something new
‣ Smell - Spray a perfume you like, cook something with a great aroma

• Counting
‣ Count anything you can put a number on (i.e. number of lights in your house,
number of books you own, number of pen/pencils you own, etc.)
‣ Count or make lists of 10 of anything (i.e. 10 colors, 10 places, 10 friends,
etc.)

• Calming and soothing words

‣ Keep a copy of your favorite saying or prayer with you.
‣ Pull it out and read it to yourself during moments you feel distressed.
When your thoughts and feelings
are overwhelming,
Here are some healthy distractions you can try, to divert your attention away from
your distress and worry onto something else, until you are ready to process your
thoughts and feelings.

• Sing or dance energetically to music

• Read a book out loud
• Do a puzzle
• Draw, color, or paint a picture
• Write prose, poem, story, journal, whatever comes to your mind
• Declutter a part of a room or sort out your files
• Cook or bake something you like
• Exercise

When you feel restless, weak or tired,

Here are some self-soothing and relaxation techniques you can try to allow your
physical and psychological tension to be released regularly, to help you unwind,
and be more prepared for stressful times

• Make time for yourself to rest and recharge.

• Mindful breathing. You may refer to this summary.

‣ Sit comfortably
‣ Direct your attention to your breathing
‣ As thoughts, emotions, or physical feelings occur, simply give them the space
to come and go, without judgement
‣ When you notice your attention drift off, acknowledge this, and then gently
bring the attention back to your breathing

• Meditation. Here are some free guided practices:

‣ 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere
‣ Mindfulness Exercises in the Midst of the COVID-19 crisis
‣ Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world
‣ Chris Germer - Meditations
Self-soothing and relaxation techniques (continued).

• Write a letter to yourself. Express compassion, understanding, and

encouragement to yourself.
‣ When writing, give advice to yourself on how to keep going based on what
has been helpful for you so far.
‣ The letter can contain a list, a poem, a photo, etc.
‣ Keep it somewhere close, like in your daily journal, posted near your
computer, or anywhere that is most accessible so that you will come across it
often.
‣ Read through it as needed.
• Cry. Crying may help you relieve and calm yourself when your emotions need to
be expressed.

In case these tips and strategies are not helpful for

you, you can set a consultation for further
psychological help. You may refer to the directory
for mental health support that was sent to you.