English Mental health and gender-based violence English version | Page 97

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Recovery skills 2
SAID ALOUD

Recovery skills 2

Aim . To practise grounding exercises and give tools that enable a person to stay in her window of tolerance .
Trainer . Now we are going to practise an exercise together . We call it a grounding exercise because it grounds and anchors us in the present . We can use it to calm a survivor whose traumatic anxieties and fears have been triggered , or awaken her energy if she lacks energy .
PART II : THE TRAINING
“ Are you willing to try a grounding exercise ?”
Grounding Exercise 5 . Re-orienting to the present . ( 10 minutes .)
Form pairs and sit together . One of you plays the Helper and the other the Survivor . Helpers should assist Survivors to use their senses to put themselves fully in the present and feel safe . Take turns .
GROUNDING EXERCISE
• Look around and name 3 things you see .
• Look at something ( an object , a colour , etc .).
• Tell yourself what you are seeing .
• Name 3 things you hear . If it feels comfortable , you can close your eyes .
• Listen to a sound ( music , voices , other sounds ).
• Tell yourself what you are hearing .
• Name 3 things you touch .
• Touch something ( different textures , different objects ).
• Tell yourself what you are touching .
• Now , notice your state of mind .
• Do you feel that you are more present in the room after doing the exercise , or less present ?
• Do you feel calmer or more energised ?
When you finish the exercise , take time to note how you feel . At the end , remember to come out of your role . Brush away the role you have played and say aloud “ I am [ me ]”.