Return to Calm cards
Quick techniques to restore serenity
🆘 In case of emergency - 2 express techniques
🫁 Breathing 4-7-8
Inhale 4 sec → Hold 7 sec → Exhale 8 sec
Repeat 3 times. Immediate calming effect.
🖐️ Anchoring 5-4-3-2-1
5 things you see - 4 things you touch - 3 things you hear - 2 things you smell - 1 thing you taste
🃏 All techniques
Square breathing
4 equal times to refocus
- Inhale by counting to 4
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds
- Expires counting to 4
- Wait 4 seconds
- Repeat 4 times
Breathing 4-7-8
Powerful anti-stress technique
- Inhale through nose for 4 sec
- Hold your breath 7 sec
- Exhale through mouth 8 sec
- Repeat 3 times
The ball
Inflating an imaginary balloon
- Put your hands on your belly
- Inhale: inflate your belly like a balloon
- Exhale: deflate slowly
- Feel your belly rise and fall
Anchoring 5-4-3-2-1
Reconnecting with the present
- Name 5 things you SEE
- Name 4 things you TOUCH
- Name 3 things you HEAR
- Name 2 things you FEEL
- Name 1 thing you TASTE
The ice cube
Cold sensation to refocus
- Take an ice cube in your hand
- Focus on the sensation of cold
- Watch as it gently melts
- Breathe calmly
Fresh water
Water on the face calms the nervous system
- Go to the bathroom or kitchen
- Run cool water over your wrists
- Then on your face
- Take a deep breath
Shaking off stress
Evacuating negative energy
- Stand up, shake your hands vigorously
- Shake your arms
- Shake your legs
- Shake your whole body for 30 sec
- Stop and feel the calm
Conscious walking
Walking with awareness
- Slow running
- Feel your feet touch the ground
- Count your steps to 10
- Start again
Stretching
Release body tensions
- Raise your arms to the sky, stretch out
- Lean to the right, then to the left
- Gently roll your head
- Shrug, release
Imaginary safe place
Visualize a soothing place
- Close your eyes
- Imagine your favorite place
- See the colors, the details
- Hear the sounds of this place
- Feel the calm of this place
Counting down
Keeping the mind occupied to calm
- Count from 100 to 0
- Par 7: 100, 93, 86, 79...
- Or by 3: 100, 97, 94...
- Focus on the numbers
Categories game
Distracting the mind with a game
- Choose a category (animals, countries...)
- Find a word for each letter
- A = Bee, B = Whale...
- Continue to Z
Drawing emotion
Expressing through drawing
- Take paper and pencils
- Draw what you feel
- Use colors, shapes
- It doesn't have to be pretty
Write down your thoughts
Clear your head on paper
- Take a piece of paper
- Write whatever comes to mind
- Without rereading, without judging
- You can tear up the paper afterwards
Soothing music
Let yourself be carried away by the music
- Play some quiet music you like
- Close your eyes
- Concentrate on the sounds
- Let the music lull you to sleep
💡 Print out these cards and keep them in your pencil case, locker or bedroom!
⭐ My favorite techniques
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