---
title: I recently unlocked a memory from when I was young (around... ~ Our Wave Community
description: Thank you for sharing this memory and your concerns. It can be challenging to reflect on childhood experiences that leave us confused or uncomfortable and we...
url: https://community.ourwave.org/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h.md
---

{{customAnalyticsScripts}}

[\[Image: Our Wave Logo\]\[Image: Our Wave Logo\]](/en/)

[

Community

](/en/)[

Questions & Answers

](/en/learn)[

Find Support

](/en/resources)

Share story

Post a message

0

Users

0

Views

0

Reactions

0

Stories read

##### Need to take a break?

Try a grounding activity

For immediate help, visit {{resource}}

Show resources for

\[Image: El Salvador\]El Salvador

[\[Image: United States\]United States](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=us)[\[Image: Argentina\]Argentina](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ar)[\[Image: Australia\]Australia](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=au)[\[Image: Bolivia\]Bolivia](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=bo)[\[Image: Canada\]Canada](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ca)[\[Image: Chile\]Chile](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=cl)[\[Image: Colombia\]Colombia](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=co)[\[Image: Costa Rica\]Costa Rica](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=cr)[\[Image: Cuba\]Cuba](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=cu)[\[Image: Dominican Republic\]Dominican Republic](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=do)[\[Image: Ecuador\]Ecuador](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ec)[\[Image: Equatorial Guinea\]Equatorial Guinea](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=gq)[\[Image: Guatemala\]Guatemala](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=gt)[\[Image: Honduras\]Honduras](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=hn)[\[Image: Ireland\]Ireland](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ie)[\[Image: Japan\]Japan](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=jp)[\[Image: Mexico\]Mexico](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=mx)[\[Image: Nicaragua\]Nicaragua](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ni)[\[Image: New Zealand\]New Zealand](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=nz)[\[Image: Panama\]Panama](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=pa)[\[Image: Paraguay\]Paraguay](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=py)[\[Image: Peru\]Peru](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=pe)[\[Image: Puerto Rico\]Puerto Rico](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=pr)[\[Image: Spain\]Spain](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=es)[\[Image: United Kingdom\]United Kingdom](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=gb)[\[Image: Uruguay\]Uruguay](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=uy)[\[Image: Venezuela\]Venezuela](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ve)

English

[English](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h)[Español](/es/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h)[日本語](/ja/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h)

[

About Us

](https://www.ourwave.org/en/who-we-are)

Made with in Raleigh, NC

Read our [Community Guidelines](https://www.ourwave.org/en/community-guidelines), [Privacy Policy](https://www.ourwave.org/en/privacy), and [Terms](https://www.ourwave.org/en/terms)

Have feedback? Send it to us

🇫🇷

# I recently unlocked a memory from when I was young (around 5 years old) that's bothering me. My best friend and I, who was the same age, were playing with dolls in her bedroom. At one point, we inserted the heads of the dolls into our private areas. I remember feeling uncomfortable. I'm not sure if this would be considered child-on-child sexual abuse (COCSA) or if I'm overreacting. I feel ashamed about this memory and hesitant to bring it up with my therapist. Was this COCSA, or am I misinterpreting what happened?

\[Image: Dr. Laura\]

Answer by **Dr. Laura**

PhD Mental Health Nurse & Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

Topics:[Sharing your story with others](/en/learn/topics/sharing-your-story-with-others)

Thank you for sharing this memory and your concerns. It can be challenging to reflect on childhood experiences that leave us confused or uncomfortable and we appreciate your trust in us.

What you're describing sounds like a form of childhood sexual exploration, which is actually quite common. Children around ages 3-6 often engage in exploratory play as they begin to develop curiosity about bodies and sensations. This type of exploration between children of similar ages who are discovering their bodies without an understanding of sexual meaning is developmentally normal, even when it feels uncomfortable to recall as an adult.

The discomfort you feel now is completely understandable. As adults, we view these experiences through a different lens than we did as children. The shame you're experiencing is a common reaction when we recall childhood experiences that don't align with our adult understanding of appropriate behavior.

[COCSA](https://community.ourwave.org/_external/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourwave.org%2Fpost%2Fchild-on-child-sexual-abuse-cocsa-frequently-asked-questions-and-considerations&resourceId=non_specific&localeId=en&countryId=us&src=answer&questionId=dcde2260-bf91-4b98-a167-90e8250a584e&sig=70057f8a74f400b6505c541482fb4f8fbcb1f1464a84ec8c39f3ccf3b9ff0413) typically involves a power imbalance, coercion, or a significant age difference. From what you've described—two children of the same age engaging in exploratory play—this likely falls within the spectrum of normal childhood curiosity rather than abuse.

It's important to recognize that your feelings about this memory are valid, regardless of how the experience might be categorized. Feeling uncomfortable during the experience is significant and worth acknowledging. Many adults look back on childhood exploration with complex emotions, especially when memories resurface unexpectedly.

Remember that you were a child navigating the world in the best way you knew how. Being gentle with yourself and understanding that this was part of normal development can help reduce feelings of shame. Your younger self was still learning about boundaries and the world around you, without the context and knowledge you have now.

I would encourage you to consider sharing this with a mental health professional if this continues to distress you. They are trained to discuss such memories without judgment and can help you process these feelings of shame. Many people have similar childhood experiences they feel confused about, and a mental health provider can provide personalized support as you make sense of this memory and its impact on you.

Remember that reaching out, as you've done here, is already a positive step forward in processing these emotions. You're not alone in having these experiences or these feelings about them. Thank you for reaching out to us.

Random Question

0 Upvote(s) Upvote(s)

[

0 Comment(s) Comment(s)

](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h#comments)

### Discard message?

You have a comment in progress, are you sure you want to discard it?

Cancel

Discard

##### Similar community content

0

Users

0

Views

0

Reactions

0

Stories read

##### Need to take a break?

Try a grounding activity

For immediate help, visit {{resource}}

Show resources for

\[Image: El Salvador\]El Salvador

[\[Image: United States\]United States](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=us)[\[Image: Argentina\]Argentina](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ar)[\[Image: Australia\]Australia](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=au)[\[Image: Bolivia\]Bolivia](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=bo)[\[Image: Canada\]Canada](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ca)[\[Image: Chile\]Chile](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=cl)[\[Image: Colombia\]Colombia](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=co)[\[Image: Costa Rica\]Costa Rica](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=cr)[\[Image: Cuba\]Cuba](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=cu)[\[Image: Dominican Republic\]Dominican Republic](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=do)[\[Image: Ecuador\]Ecuador](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ec)[\[Image: Equatorial Guinea\]Equatorial Guinea](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=gq)[\[Image: Guatemala\]Guatemala](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=gt)[\[Image: Honduras\]Honduras](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=hn)[\[Image: Ireland\]Ireland](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ie)[\[Image: Japan\]Japan](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=jp)[\[Image: Mexico\]Mexico](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=mx)[\[Image: Nicaragua\]Nicaragua](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ni)[\[Image: New Zealand\]New Zealand](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=nz)[\[Image: Panama\]Panama](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=pa)[\[Image: Paraguay\]Paraguay](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=py)[\[Image: Peru\]Peru](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=pe)[\[Image: Puerto Rico\]Puerto Rico](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=pr)[\[Image: Spain\]Spain](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=es)[\[Image: United Kingdom\]United Kingdom](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=gb)[\[Image: Uruguay\]Uruguay](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=uy)[\[Image: Venezuela\]Venezuela](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h?country=ve)

English

[English](/en/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h)[Español](/es/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h)[日本語](/ja/answer/i-recently-unlocked-a-memory-from-when-i-was-young-around-5-years-old-thats-bothering-me-my-best-friend-and-i-who-was-the-same-age-were-playing-with-dolls-in-her-bedroom-at-one-point-we-inserted-the-h)

For immediate help, visit {{resource}}

Made with in Raleigh, NC

|

Read our [Community Guidelines](https://www.ourwave.org/en/community-guidelines), [Privacy Policy](https://www.ourwave.org/en/privacy), and [Terms](https://www.ourwave.org/en/terms)

|

[

#### Resources

](/en/resources)

### Post a Message

Share a message of support with the community.

Continue

We will send you an email as soon as your message is posted, as well as send helpful resources and support.

Post

Please adhere to our [Community Guidelines](https://www.ourwave.org/en/community-guidelines) to help us keep Our Wave a safe space. All messages will be reviewed and identifying information removed before they are posted.

### Ask a Question

Ask a question about survivorship or supporting survivors.

Continue

We will send you an email as soon as your question is answered, as well as send helpful resources and support.

Submit

### How can we help?

Tell us why you are reporting this content. Our moderation team will review your report shortly.

Violence, hate, or exploitation

Threats, hateful language, or sexual coercion

Bullying or unwanted contact

Harassment, intimidation, or persistent unwanted messages

Scam, fraud, or impersonation

Deceptive requests or claiming to be someone else

False information

Misleading claims or deliberate disinformation

Submit

### Share Feedback

Tell us what’s working (and what isn't) so we can keep improving.

Submit

### Log in

Enter the email you used to submit to Our Wave and we'll send you a magic link to access your profile.

Send link

Grounding activity

Find a comfortable place to sit. Gently close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths - in through your nose (count to 3), out through your mouth (count of 3). Now open your eyes and look around you. Name the following out loud:

5 – things you can see (you can look within the room and out of the window)

4 – things you can feel (what is in front of you that you can touch?)

3 – things you can hear

2 – things you can smell

1 – thing you like about yourself.

Take a deep breath to end.

From where you are sitting, look around for things that have a texture or are nice or interesting to look at.

Hold an object in your hand and bring your full focus to it. Look at where shadows fall on parts of it or maybe where there are shapes that form within the object. Feel how heavy or light it is in your hand and what the surface texture feels like under your fingers (This can also be done with a pet if you have one).

Take a deep breath to end.

Ask yourself the following questions and answer them out loud:

1\. Where am I?

2\. What day of the week is today?

3\. What is today’s date?

4\. What is the current month?

5\. What is the current year?

6\. How old am I?

7\. What season is it?

Take a deep breath to end.

Put your right hand palm down on your left shoulder. Put your left hand palm down on your right shoulder. Choose a sentence that will strengthen you. For example: “I am powerful.” Say the sentence out loud first and pat your right hand on your left shoulder, then your left hand on your right shoulder.

Alternate the patting. Do ten pats altogether, five on each side, each time repeating your sentences aloud.

Take a deep breath to end.

Cross your arms in front of you and draw them towards your chest. With your right hand, hold your left upper arm. With your left hand, hold your right upper arm. Squeeze gently, and pull your arms inwards. Hold the squeeze for a little while, finding the right amount of squeeze for you in this moment. Hold the tension and release. Then squeeze for a little while again and release. Stay like that for a moment.

Take a deep breath to end.

Try another grounding activity

I feel grounded and ready