Grounding Techniques for Trauma Survivors

5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding: name things you see, feel, hear, smell, and taste.

Physical grounding — cold water on wrists, feet on floor, pressing palms together — signals safety to the nervous system.

Breathing slowly with longer exhales activates the parasympathetic system.

Grounding is a skill, not a cure. Therapy builds long-term processing; psychiatry stabilizes symptoms.

If grounding does not help and you feel unsafe, contact crisis resources or emergency services.