#bear grumbles

▪︎Break down your to-do list into smaller tasks. If you have ten things to do, split the list in half, then pick one or two that will be easy to complete. Sometimes when I feel stressed about everything I need to do, it helps to start small! Even if you only get half a task done before you need a break, it will make the list shorter overall!

▪︎Take a shower/bath. Getting clean and dressing in clean clothes after helps reset our brain, which can help us calm down when our brains are too loud.

▪︎ Turn off social media for a day. I cheat sometimes and still watch YouTube during the break, but if your feeds are stressing you out there is no shame in turning them off for a day! I promise you'll feel better without the constant negative posts.

▪︎ Talk to someone you trust. If you need a distraction, text a friend or loved one. It's easy to feel isolated when overwhelmed, but you are never alone 💛

▪︎ Take a deep breath and sit outside for five minutes. It's easy to spiral when our circumstances are out of our control. During these times, it helps me to take one, deep breath, then sit outside in nature for a bit. It's almost like meditation, watching the grass move in the wind, or following an insect in flight. Sitting and remembering that the nature around us, what we see and feel, is real.

We're going to be okay 💛

Count your fingers one by one. Start with a closed fist and slowly add each finger until you have all ten showing. Repeat to yourself (out loud or in your head) details about your location. For example, "my name is ______, I am in a small room with gray walls, the air is cold." Try to mention all of your senses, what can you smell? Is there any noise? Take a sip of a drink if you have one, what does it taste like?

There are lots of grounding techniques you can utilize when you feel disassociated or on the brink of unwanted regression, but this one has worked best for me so far!

It's therapist approved! It's good to learn the triggers of your involuntary regression, and keeping a journal can help keep track of when it happens, how it happened, and any external factors that incited it. It's also good to keep track of voluntary regression, as the reasons you regressed/needed to utilize a coping mechanism are just as important!

Writing helps put emotions into words. It's often difficult when regressed to communicate what we need or how we feel. Journaling provides a neutral space where you can write anything you need to, and no one will see it unless you show them. It's a good way to get negative emotions out in a healthy way rather than a harmful one. And it doesn't just have to be words, using scribbles or stickers can be as effective as words when it comes to getting your emotions out.

It can be tedious to keep all your arts and crafts in one place, but it's very easy to put them in a journal! Coloring pages, worksheets, and holiday crafts can easily be glued into a journal for safekeeping. Sticker pages are some of my personal favorites, since I always have stickers and never know where to put them!

Feel free to add reasons why your journal helps you!!