What are Back to Calm cards for ADHD?

Back to Calm cards are ADHD tools that provide techniques to help calm down when things get out of hand. They include various exercises categorized into breathing, body, mental, and sensory techniques that can be used when you feel you're losing control at orange or red levels.

How do I use the Back to Calm cards?

When you feel you're losing control (orange or red level), choose a card and do the exercise. It's important to practice these techniques when you're calm, so they'll be effective when you actually need them in stressful situations.

What is the balloon breathing technique?

The balloon technique is a 1-minute breathing exercise where you put your hands on your belly, inhale through your nose to inflate an imaginary balloon for 4 seconds, then exhale through your mouth to deflate it for 6 seconds. Repeat this process 5 times.

What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?

The 5-4-3-2-1 is a 2-minute sensory grounding technique where you identify 5 things you can SEE, 4 things you can TOUCH, 3 things you can HEAR, 2 things you can FEEL, and 1 thing you can TASTE. This helps bring your attention back to the present moment.

How does the butterfly cuddle technique work?

The butterfly cuddle is a 1-minute self-soothing technique where you cross your arms over your chest and gently tap one shoulder, then the other, like butterfly wings, while continuing to breathe calmly. This provides comfort and helps regulate emotions.

What categories of calming techniques are available in the cards?

The Back to Calm cards are organized into several categories: breathing techniques (like the balloon and wave exercises), body techniques (like melting ice cube and tense-and-release), mental techniques (like safe place visualization and countdown), and sensory techniques (like the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method).

Calm-Down Cards — ADHD Tool | DYNSEO

🧠 ADHD TOOL — EMOTIONAL REGULATION

Calm-Down Cards
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Techniques to regain control when it gets overwhelming — breathing, body, mind, sensory.

✨ DYNSEO Member — Detailed statistics and printing unlocked

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📌 How to use these cards?

When you feel like you're losing control, choose a card and do the exercise. Mark ⭐ as favourite the techniques that work best for you. Practise them when you are calm so they are effective when you need them!

Times used

Favourites

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Favourite technique

🎲 Need help? Draw a card!

Click for a random technique

🎯

Ready to calm down?

Click the button to discover a technique

🏠 Create my calm corner

A special place to recharge

A dedicated space I can go to when I need to calm down:

🛋️

Comfortable cushion or bean bag

🧸

Soft toy or comforter

🎧

Noise-cancelling headphones

🤜

Stress ball

📚

Favourite book

🖼️

Calming images

Tips for the speech therapist

Practise these techniques when the child is CALM (not in crisis)
Help the child identify 2–3 preferred techniques
Create a portable "calm kit" together
Praise spontaneous use of the techniques

🖨️ Cards to print

🎈

The balloon

Inhale 4s, exhale 6s
Repeat 5×

💪

Squeeze-release

Fists clenched 5s
then release

5️⃣

5-4-3-2-1

5 see, 4 touch
3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste

💧

Cold water

On your wrists
or face

🤗

Butterfly hug

Tap your shoulders
alternately

🔢

Count 10→0

Slowly
in your head

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