Grounding during a flashback

• Card 1

  The aim of grounding during an emotional flashback isn't to stop the feeling immediately — that's rarely possible, and isn't the goal. It's to gently remind your nervous system that you are here, now, as the age you actually are, and that this moment is different from the one being echoed.

• Card 2

  A grounding sequence to try

  1. 1Say to yourself: 'I am having an emotional flashback'Naming it can create a small but important distance.
  2. 2Remind yourself of your age and the date"I am [your age]. It is [today's date]. I am safe in this moment."
  3. 3Feel your feet on the groundPress down gently, notice the support beneath you.
  4. 4Look around and name what you actually seeThe room you're in, right now — not the memory.
  5. 5Slow your breathingTry a longer exhale than inhale, a few times.
  6. 6Offer yourself some reassurance"This feeling is real, but it belongs to the past. It will pass."

  You can stop this practice at any point. If it doesn't feel like enough, our full Grounding tool has other techniques, and reaching out to someone you trust is always a valid option.

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