Grounding In Court

  • 5 things. When on the stand, find 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, three things you hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. this was the best way for me to reconnect with my body when I was dissociating.

  • Bring a pack of standard-size, square post-its. I am a nail-biting person and to keep my hands out of my mouth I would fold single post-its. I would accordion fold them into tiny bowties and at the end of the day I had a small pile of paper confetti.

  • Box Breathing. Take a deep breath while counting to 4, hold it for four, breathe out for 4, and hold for 4.

  • Fidget toys such as a stress ball, mini plushie, acupressure ring, or another silent fidget.

  • While you can't chew gum on the stand, you can apply lip balm. The courtroom can be quite dry so I would bring one with you but I highly recommend a mint flavoured. Mint is a calming scent and can help if you start to dissociate.

Grounding Out of Court

  • Snack on a sour candy or peppermint.

  • Do word searches or colour in some mandalas

  • Sit and watch some funny TikToks.

  • Go for a walk around the courthouse and on breaks step outside for some fresh air.

  • Play a game of cards with your support person.

  • Make yourself a playlist of music that makes you feel strong and powerful.

  • Progressive muscle Relaxation. It works like this: Focus on your left hand, and notice how it feels before doing anything. Slowly inhale while you clench your left fist into a ball and squeeze the muscles in your hand and feel the tension. Do this for about 5 seconds (really feel the tension, but it shouldn't hurt). Exhale while releasing the tension in your left hand and feel the muscles relax. Relax for about 15 seconds. Move on to your right hand and repeat the process. You can continue to do this as many times as needed with different muscle groups. For example, tense your neck and shoulders by raising your shoulders to your ears for 5 seconds and then completely release your shoulders. You can tense your eyes by clenching your eyelids shut for 5 seconds and then completely relaxing your eyelids and eyebrows.

  • Have a snack, get a carbonated beverage, and focus on fueling your body.