Explore Each Technique
Read the full guidance for any technique below, or use the interactive tools above.
Deep Breathing — Box Breathing
Box breathing helps regulate your nervous system by giving your mind a simple, steady pattern to follow.
- Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold that breath gently for 4 seconds.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds.
- Repeat the cycle for as long as feels helpful.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
Bring your mind back to the present moment by noticing your surroundings through each of your senses.
- 5 things you can see — Look around you. Notice the details.
- 4 things you can physically feel — Pay attention to your body and what it's touching.
- 3 things you can hear — Listen closely to your surroundings.
- 2 things you can smell — Breathe in and notice any scents.
- 1 thing you can taste — What does the inside of your mouth taste like?
Need Encouragement
Briefly describe what you're facing right now — feeling overwhelmed with work, an argument with a loved one, anxiety about the future — and receive personalized words of support along with an affirmation to carry with you.
Affirmations — Repeat After Me
- I am safe right here, right now.
- I give myself permission to feel this without judgment.
- My worth is not tied to my productivity.
- I am allowed to take up space.
- This feeling is uncomfortable, but it is temporary.
- I have survived every difficult day before this one.
Sleep Reset
It's late and sleep won't come. Try one of these — each takes 1–3 minutes.
Quiet a racing mind — cognitive shuffle
Picture a neutral image — a still lake at sunrise, a stone smoothed by river water, a moss-covered log, a quiet candle flame. Hold each image for about 8 seconds, then move to the next. Don't build a story — let the images pass like clouds.
4-7-8 breathing
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold for 7 seconds. Exhale slowly through pursed lips for 8 seconds. Four cycles usually does it.
Release your body — body scan
Move slowly from head to toe: scalp & forehead, jaw & tongue, neck & shoulders, arms & hands, chest, belly, lower back & hips, thighs, calves, feet & toes. Gently tense each area for 3 seconds, then let it fall heavy into the mattress.
Empty your head — brain dump
Write down anything circling — tomorrow's to-dos, unfinished thoughts, things you don't want to forget. Getting it out of your head and onto the page lets you park it for tomorrow so your mind can let go tonight.
Set the scene
- Cool the room (65–68°F / 18–20°C)
- Dim or silence your phone — face-down works
- If you've been awake 20+ minutes, get up briefly and try one of these in low light, then return to bed
- Tomorrow can wait. You don't have to solve anything tonight.