Steady the body

Sleep, food, movement, breath, and the window of tolerance

Trauma disrupts sleep almost universally, and lost sleep makes everything else harder to carry. It is the highest-yield single lever available to you. Food and movement are close behind — not as self-improvement, but as the floor everything else stands on.

01 —

Sleep

Go to bed and get up at the same times, even badly. Same times matter more than enough hours, at first.

02 —

Food

Eat something regularly. Blood sugar and mood are not separate systems, and skipping meals makes tomorrow harder in a way that has nothing to do with willpower.

03 —

Movement

A walk. Not a programme. Movement discharges stress chemistry that talking cannot reach.

04 —

Breath

A longer out-breath than in-breath, for one minute.

05 —

Grounding

Five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch. Have this ready before you need it.