In a school counselling room, therapy session or quiet corner at home, the worksheet gives children, teenagers and adults a simple way to pause when emotions feel too much. The tool is especially suited to young people who benefit from visual prompts, social workers supporting direct work, counsellors, teachers, parents and carers looking for a practical grounding activity for anxiety, stress, anger, sadness or overwhelm.
The first section helps the person notice what is happening right now, with tick boxes for feelings such as anxious, angry, sad, overwhelmed and calm. It also asks what the body is doing, including fast heartbeat, tight chest, shaking, crying, racing thoughts, headache, restlessness or feeling frozen, followed by a 0 to 10 scale to rate how strong the feeling is.
A present-moment grounding exercise uses the familiar 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 senses format, asking for five things seen, four things touched, three things heard, two things smelt and one thing tasted. The breathing section then offers a clear pattern of breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds and breathing out for 6 seconds, repeated five times, with check boxes to notice whether the body feels calmer, thoughts have slowed, focus has improved, or the feeling remains the same.
Further mindfulness prompts support emotional coping without pressure to feel instantly better. There is space to write one helpful reminder, with examples such as getting through the next few minutes or not needing to fix everything today, plus a choice of small next steps including drinking water, washing the face, going outside, stretching, listening to music, resting, messaging someone trusted, eating something or writing things down.
The final check-in repeats the 0 to 10 feeling scale and asks what helped most, making it useful for reflection after a grounding exercise. The gentle design, short prompts and concrete choices make it accessible for kids, teens and adults who may struggle to think clearly when overwhelmed. Created by Edita Stiborova.
