Anxiety · Exercise

Grounding Reset: 3 Minutes

For panic, anger, overwhelm, or emotional flooding. Three minutes, three jobs: orient, settle, choose. Read it now so you know it when you need it.

Safety note: This worksheet is educational and is not emergency care, therapy, or a diagnosis. If you may hurt yourself or someone else, call 911 or call or text 988 now.

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01 Minute one · Orient

Overwhelm pulls you out of the present. Orienting is how you get back — say these out loud if you can.

Name where you are.
Name the date and roughly what time it is.
Name three things you can see, in detail — colour, shape, distance.

02 Minute two · Settle

Your body is running an alarm. You are not arguing with it — you are showing it the emergency is over.

Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Breathe out longer than you breathe in. Four in, six or eight out.
Press your feet into the floor and notice the pressure.

03 Minute three · Choose one safe action

Not the solution to everything. One action, small enough to be certain about.

04 And one thing I do not have to solve right now

Naming what can wait is half the relief. Write it here and let it wait.

05 What worked, for next time

Note which part actually helped. Over a few uses this becomes your own version rather than a generic exercise.

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