Trauma & feeling safe~10 minTrauma-informedGuided imagery
Building a calm place
Create a detailed calm place in your mind that you can visit when you need to settle.
Imagining a calm or safe place with all your senses is a stabilization skill used in many trauma therapies. Practicing it while you're relaxed makes it easier to reach when you're stressed.
If picturing a place brings up distress, stop, open your eyes and ground yourself. Some people prefer a calm activity or a calm person instead of a place — that works too.
1. My calm place — real or imagined
2. What I see there
3. What I hear
4. What I smell and feel (temperature, textures)
5. How my body feels when I'm there
6. A cue word that takes me there
"Lake"
7. When I'll practice visiting it (a minute or two a day helps)