Coping & Grounding Skills

Written By RRC Admin

Coping and grounding skills for sexual assault trauma help manage flashbacks, panic, and dissociation by reorienting the mind and body to the present. Survivors who practice mindfulness through these skills can experience reduction of anxiety and self-blame through present-moment awareness, self-compassion, and body awareness.

YOU MIGHT SAY:

  • “My feet are here, and I am safe in this moment.”

  • Naming things out loud (what you see, what you feel, what you hear)

  • Touching nature (soil, grass, leaves, water, tree bark)

CREATIVE OUTLETS

  • Listening to, playing, or creating music

  • Dancing or gentle movement

  • Drawing, painting, or crafting

  • Doodling without judgment

  • “Free-writing” (writing continuously for 10–20 minutes without stopping or editing), then choosing to keep, destroy, or set it aside

MINDFULNESS & VISUALIZATION PRACTICES

  • Guided meditations (RAIN, safe/soothing place, container visualization, leaves on a stream)

  • “Centering prayer” or repeated calming phrases

  • “Dial-it-down” visualization

  • Imagine your distress level as a volume knob and gently turning it down

  • Tree grounding visualization

  • Imagining yourself as a tree with roots connecting you to the earth

  • Simple breathing exercises (slow, natural breaths without forcing)

INTENTIONAL DISTRACTIONS

  • Watching a familiar or comforting movie or show

  • Reading something light or comforting

  • Playing video games

  • Looking at calming images (nature, animals, familiar spaces)

  • Spending time with animals or animal videos

  • Gentle movement or exercise (stretching, walking, sports)

  • Walking outside and noticing one small detail (sound, color, texture, temperature)

  • Butterfly hug (alternating gentle tapping on shoulders or chest)

SENSORY GROUNDING & BODY-BASED SKILLS

These strategies use your senses to help bring your attention back to the present moment:

  • Holding something cold (ice cubes, cold washcloth, ice pack)

  • Sucking on mints or candy to notice strong sensory input

  • Tossing or squeezing an object (stress ball, crumpled paper, textured item)

  • Holding or touching objects with different textures (smooth stones, beads, stuffed animals, recovery coins, sensory toys)

  • Listening to calming or familiar sounds (music, nature sounds, bell tones, playlists)

  • Pressing your feet into the floor and noticing the sensation of support beneath you

RRC Admin
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