A tool to ground yourself when emotions run high​

Life is unpredictable, and at times our emotions can feel overwhelming — especially in the early stages of therapy or during periods of significant change. When this happens, we often disconnect our mind from our body (usually by unconsciously holding our breath). Over time, this can leave many of us carrying stored emotional energy in our bodies, which can get triggered by everyday events.

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That’s why it helps to have grounding tools that reconnect you to your body and reduce the chances of old feelings hijacking your day (or night) before you slip into disconnecting or numbing.

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One accessible tool is Connected Breathing. This term covers a range of breathing techniques that use your natural physiology to calm and rebalance your nervous system by helping your body to calm and process emotional energy.

 

A simple and powerful example is the 4–6 breath. Here's how to do it.

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• Find a safe, comfortable space if you can

• Breathe in gently through your nose for 4 seconds

• Breathe out slowly through slightly pursed lips for 6 seconds

• Repeat for 2–5 minutes

 

Go gently. Trust the process and try and be patient with yourself.

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To deepen the experience: If you have more time, set aside about 30 minutes so your body knows there’s space to settle and recover. For 10–15 minutes, focus on filling your belly first and then your lungs on each in-breath, and hum softly on each out-breath.

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Why does it work?

Breathing at this pace supports the nervous system’s optimal rhythm for resting, digesting, and regulating stress. It reduces anxious symptoms by reconnecting mind and body, balancing blood pressure and hormones, repairing cells, and increasing healthy blood flow and oxygen. As the system settles, clearer, more compassionate, and more rational thinking becomes available again. As a regular practice, I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

If symptoms persist, a more tailored or advanced therapeutic approach may be needed.

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If you would like to discuss support you can get in touch with me at nathan@theunsaidspace.com.