Grounding Practices
These are short, gentle exercises you can return to.
Layer 1: Grounding
Purpose: Helping people return to the present moment.
Examples:
Breathing exercises
Temperature exercises
Weight and gravity
Texture awareness
Layer 2: Objects and Keepsakes
Purpose: The physical objects that carry memory.
Examples:
A grandparent's watch
A handwritten note
A favorite blanket
Jewelry
A stuffed animal
A book with notes in the margins
A recipe card
A ticket stub
A flower pressed between pages
Questions to ask:
What object reminds you most of someone you love?
What item would you save if everything else disappeared?
Layer 3: Comfort & Care
Purpose: The things that help us feel held.
Examples:
Wrapping yourself in a blanket
Holding a warm mug
Taking a warm shower
Sitting in sunlight
Petting a dog or cat
Gardening
Hugging a loved one
Layer 4: Human Touch
Purpose: The physical ways we express love and connection.
Examples:
Holding hands
Hugs
A hand on your shoulder
Dancing
High fives
Handwritten letters
Caring for someone
Our most meaningful memories involve touch. Not because the touch itself was extraordinary, but because of who it came from.
Memory Objects
Ask:
If you could place one object into a memory museum dedicated to someone you love, what would it be?
Submit:
Object name
Photo
Story behind it
For example:
Object: Baseball glove
Story: "This belonged to my dad. Every Saturday morning we'd play catch in the park."
That becomes a beautiful intersection of:
Touch
Memory
Storytelling
Legacy