Stay Grounded With Your Senses! A regulation technique.

Stay Grounded with your senses!

Week 13 of lockdown in Sydney with a long journey still ahead. Parents and children shout hooray for the school holidays. An easing of some restrictions has been a "yay" but we aren't back to "normal" yet...  There is a sigh of relief and yet the stress is still high.

We know the value of parents/adults being regulated so that our children can also feel secure amidst the chaos.  That river of calm can be hard to navigate.

Being grounded in your senses is a well-known grounding technique to help you to be in the moment. 

To be grounded is ...To be mindful of where you are right now.  To be in control of your emotions and thoughts.  To accept where you are.  To find something "solid" to connect with during difficult times. 

That connection helps relax the body and in turn relaxes the mind. It helps to de-escalate anxiety and stress. 

Being mindful or taking in the physical signs of the present can be done with a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 

Name 5 things you can see.
Name 4 things you can touch. 
Name 3 things you can hear.
Name 2 things you can smell.
Name 1 thing that you can taste.

You can do this for yourself.  You can do this with your children. 

Try it when you are all calm.

​Practice in difference situations.  Practice in different places. 

Occupational therapists, you could do this via Telehealth sessions and then incorporate breathing techniques, sensory solutions, movement, play or writing. 

You could also try to use this as a way to create a ​sensory diet of activities  too.  Have a look at some resources - Sensory Diet Activity Guide Book and Activities for Me! 

Here is an example of how you could turn this into a sensory diet list.  Work on choosing activities together.

I wouldn't consider this a complete sensory diet but you could use this as a way to help children to become aware of their senses.  You could refer back to the list if your child has trouble communicating about their senses. This could be used as a quick list to refer to when your child needs help to calm down.

What would you put on this list for your own calm down strategies? What other ways help you to feel connected and grounded? Share these with your children.  Help them to hear how you manage stress and difficult times.  (You don't need to go into detail about what is causing your stress or anxiety...but rather how you are dealing with it or addressing it). This is one of the best ways to help your children understand regulation. 

The Black Dog Institute has a vast array of resources and articles about mental health for your and your children, especially in light of COVID-19.   Reach out if you need help. 

I hope you and your children try out "stay grounded with your senses" this week! 

Take care of yourself. 

Until next time,

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Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
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