Post Crisis Tools
Calming / Grounding Exercises
After a Crisis or Trauma it can be helpful to have a number of tools or exercises to help regulate and integrate your mind and body. One of the key purposes is to help you be in the present.
Grounding Basics
Rationale: external and internal stress triggers have an accumulative effect during the day.
We cope better with stress when we stay within our arousal “window of tolerance”.
An antidote to stress triggers: frequent random monitoring of stress level with simple stress reduction actions to keep stress levels within our “window of tolerance”.
Four Elements Option 1: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire: This is a series of grounding exercies.
Here is another version of Four Elements to try as well.
Breathing: While included in the Four Elements exercise there are many ways of doing deep breathing as a way of calming and controlling your body's resposne to stress and triggers after an incicdent.
Breath Prayer: Incorporates breathing with communicating to and from God
Box Breathing: Another way to do deep breathing
Hot drink Breathing: A breathing and grounding exercise good for kids
Imaginative Exercises: These can be used in the "Fire" section of the four elements or on their own. Ways to help our brains be able to disengage from the trauma and its triggers.
Container exercise : You don't have to think about difficult or heavy things all the time. The Container exercise gives your brain permission to turn off and container something that has been difficult.
Safe Place Exercise: To use your imagination to be reminded of a place you feel calm and safe, usfeul to lower your current arousal (or triggered) state.
Spotlight Exercise: A way to invite God to help you notice all parts of you being (mental, physical, spiriutal, emotoinal, social)
Body Scan Exercise: To be aware of how your body is responding post crisis.
Container Exercise Demonstration
James Covey, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor
What to Expect after a Trauma
Brianna White, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Child Mental Health Specialist.
Resource for parents - What is Trauma
This video is for adults in Ukarumpa after the 2022 earthquake. It discusses what a trauma is, how it is diagnosed, what warning signs parents and teachers can look for as well as why it is important to seek help for children that have negative changes in their behavior after a traumatic event.
Brianna White, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Child Mental Health Specialist.
Common Reactions to a crisis
Other Basic Responses
What to do, not to do and how to help others
Things to Try: Some pratical things to do after a crisis.
How to Help Someone After a Crisis
Content curated by
James Covey, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor
SIL