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Anxiety resources · Guided exercise
Guided grounding & breathing
Choose a brief sensory exercise or a gentle breathing rhythm, at a pace that feels comfortable.
No account or email required. Your entries stay in this browser tab.
Quick Summary
- Use a guided sensory exercise to notice your surroundings.
- Try gentle breathing with a timer, optional sound and motion controls.
- You can pause or stop at any time. Choose the exercise that feels more comfortable.
THE BALANCE · Guided grounding & breathing
Your guided exercise
A moment to settle
The breathing timer can pause and resume, and pauses when you leave the tab. Sound is optional and off by default. Reduced-motion preferences are respected. For grounding, move at your own pace and skip any sense that does not feel accessible or comfortable.
Keep the instructions if you would like to use them again.
Keep your breathing comfortable rather than forced. Stop if you feel dizzy, breathless or more distressed, and return to your usual breathing. Grounding may be preferable if focusing on breathing feels uncomfortable.
Guided practice
Method & interpretation
Understand
your result.
The grounding sequence directs attention to things you can notice through your senses. The breathing timer uses a simple in-and-out rhythm without breath holding. These are optional self-help exercises, not diagnostic or medical treatments.
Grounding: 5 things to see · 4 to feel · 3 to hear · 2 to smell · 1 to taste.
A worked example
You might notice the colour of a wall, the feeling of the chair beneath you or a quiet sound nearby. Skip a sense if it is inaccessible or uncomfortable.
A useful next step
Use the result to organise a question or observation you want to discuss. You can explore anxiety resources, visit the assessment directory or read about individual care and support at THE BALANCE.
Questions & answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to close my eyes?
No. You can keep your eyes open and notice the space around you. Choose a position that feels comfortable and safe.
What if focusing on breathing makes me feel worse?
Stop the timer and return to normal breathing. You can try the sensory grounding option or discuss other strategies with a professional.
Can I use it without sound or animation?
Yes. Sound is off by default, and you can turn motion off. Text instructions remain visible.
Are my entries saved or shared?
Your entries stay in memory in this browser tab. They are not sent to THE BALANCE, saved in the URL or included in marketing analytics. Download or print a copy if you want to keep it. Resetting, reloading or leaving the page clears the tool entries. Files you download remain under your control.
Sources & review
Transparent
methods.
Sources checked 8 September 2026. Clinical review pending for this draft.
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