Gentle Grounding Support Guide
A trauma-informed educational wellness worksheet for reflection, choice, self-care, and support.

Use this at your own pace. Skip, adapt, pause, or stop. You are allowed to choose what fits your body, culture, privacy, energy, safety, access needs, and real-life limits today.

A printable reflection and practice resource Created by Michelle D. Elder, MSW, LMHC. This worksheet is a free educational wellness resource from My Reflective Collective.
Use what supports you. Skip, pause, adapt, or connect with a licensed therapist, healthcare provider, advocate, or trusted support if reflection brings something up.
Important information before you begin
Trauma_Grounding_Support_Guide
Choose what is appropriate for you ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Participation is voluntary. You may skip a prompt, keep your eyes open, change an exercise, pause, or stop. Some material may bring up discomfort, strong emotions, memories, dizziness, or physical sensations. The resource may use clinical or wellness terms to explain general concepts; those terms are not a personalized assessment or recommendation.
No promised outcome
No particular physical, emotional, legal, relationship, or other result is promised. Information can become outdated, and experiences differ. Consult an appropriately qualified professional about your individual needs, medications, health conditions, safety, legal matter, or treatment decisions.
Emergency and crisis needs call or text 988 for suicide or crisis support. Call 911 for an immediate emergency when that is safe and appropriate. Outside the United States, use your local emergency or crisis resources.
By continuing, you acknowledge that you have read this page and understand the resource's educational scope.
Last reviewed
for web publication: June 27, 2026.
immediate danger or medical emergency. Call or text 988 in the U.S. or Canada for suicide or mental health
crisis support. Copyright Michelle
A Gentle Guide for Getting Through Hard Moments
If you're reading this, things might feel really overwhelming right now. That makes sense. Your body and mind are responding to stress and past experiences. You are not alone in this, and you are not in danger right now. You are here, and you can get through this moment, one step at a time.
1. Come Back to the Present
When your mind is racing or your body feels panicked, gently bring yourself back to right now. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 1 Name 5 things you can see ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2 4 things you can touch 3 3 things you hear 4 2 things you smell 5 1 thing you taste Softly remind yourself: "I am safe right now. This is a stress response. I can get through this."
2. Help Your Body Feel Safe
Your body needs signals of safety more than anything else. 1 Hold something cold (ice, cold water on wrists or face) 2 Wrap yourself in a blanket or hold something heavy 3 Press your feet firmly into the ground 4 Slow breathing: in for 4, out for 6
3. If You Feel Numb or Disconnected
If things feel unreal or you feel far away, gently reconnect to your body. 1 Say your name, today's date, and where you are 2 Hold something textured and focus on how it feels 3 Look around and describe your surroundings out loud 4 Move your body-stretch, shake your hands, or walk
4. When Emotions Feel Too Big
1 "This feeling will pass." 2 "I don't have to solve everything right now." 3 "I can take this one step at a time."
5. When Facing Stressful Tasks (Emails, Court, etc.)
1 Set a timer (10-20 minutes) 2 Remind yourself you can stop at any time 3 Afterward, do something calming (walk, music, shower) 4 Avoid replaying or overthinking immediately after
6. Gentle Daily Support
1 Eat small meals, even if you don't feel hungry 2 Move your body a little each day 3
Stay connected to safe people 4 Keep a simple routine where you can
7. Soft Journaling Prompts
1 What am I feeling right now, without judgment? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2 What does my body need in this moment? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3 What has helped me get through hard things before? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4 What would I say to someone I care about feeling this way? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 5 What is one small, kind thing I can do for myself today? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ You are doing the best you can in a really hard situation. Even reading this is a step forward. You don't have to have everything figured out-just focus on getting through this moment. danger or medical emergency. Call or text 988 in the U.S. or Canada for suicide or mental health crisis
support. Copyright Michelle D. Elder,
MSW, LMHC. My Reflective Collective.
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They are not therapy, diagnosis, medical care, legal advice, crisis care, or individualized safety planning.
Pause or stop any activity that feels wrong, unsafe, inaccessible, or too much.
For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911. In the U.S., call or text 988 for crisis support.
Michelle D. Elder, MSW, LMHC | My Reflective Collective
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Educational scope and professional limits This resource provides general psychoeducation, reflection, and wellness support. It is not therapy, counseling, diagnosis, assessment, treatment, medical advice, legal advice, crisis response, forensic evaluation, or an individualized safety plan.
It does not replace care from a licensed clinician, healthcare professional, attorney, trained advocate, emergency service, or other qualified professional. Laws, court procedures, services, and risks vary by location and circumstance.
Choice, pacing, and inclusion You may skip, change, discuss, dictate, draw, pause, or stop any activity. No exercise can determine what you experienced, diagnose a condition, prove a legal claim, guarantee safety, or tell you whether to stay, leave, report, reconcile, forgive, or pursue court action. Adapt language and activities for culture, identity, disability, neurotype, age, literacy, sensory needs, and personal preference. Automatic translation can make mistakes; confirm legal, medical, emergency, and safety-critical wording with a qualified person.
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Created by Michelle D. Elder, MSW, LMHC for My Reflective Collective. Free for personal educational use and supportive discussion. Keep the creator credit and this safety page with the resource when sharing. Do not sell, misrepresent, or present it as individualized clinical or legal advice.
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Immediate danger or medical emergency: call 911 | U.S. crisis support: call or text 988 | Michelle D. Elder, MSW, LMHC