Comfort Corner
When life feels like a lot, this is your space to reset. Explore calming tools, emotion check-ins, and gentle prompts designed to meet you right where you are.
4-7-8 Breathing Technique
A calming breathing exercise designed to relax your nervous system and reduce anxiety, stress, or overwhelm.
How to do it:
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Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
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Hold your breath for 7 seconds
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Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
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Repeat 3–4 times (or more if needed)
Why it helps:
This technique slows your heart rate, grounds you in the moment, and activates the body’s relaxation response. It’s like a built-in pause button for your nervous system.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
(aka Belly Breathing)
A gentle way of breathing that focuses on engaging your diaphragm, the muscle at the base of your lungs, rather than shallow chest breathing.
How to do it:
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Sit or lie down comfortably.
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Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
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Breathe in deeply through your nose, letting your belly rise (not your chest).
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Slowly exhale through your mouth, letting your belly fall.
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Repeat for several minutes, letting the breath flow gently.
Why it helps:
This type of breathing helps regulate your nervous system, reduces tension, and improves oxygen flow. It’s especially helpful during moments of anxiety, panic, or when you feel disconnected from your body.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
A quick, sensory-based exercise that helps you reconnect to the present moment when your thoughts or emotions feel overwhelming.
How it works:
Take a deep breath and notice your surroundings:
5 things you can see
4 things you can hear
3 things you can touch
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste​
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Why it helps:
It gently brings your attention back to your body and your surroundings, helping you feel more grounded, calm, and in control.
Categories
A mental grounding activity that gives your brain something neutral and structured to focus on.
How to do it:
Pick a category and name as many items as you can (no pressure, just flow).
Try things like:
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Animals
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Food
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Green things
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Words that start with “B”
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Pokémon names
Why it helps:
It helps interrupt racing thoughts, ease anxiety, and give your brain a calming task that doesn’t require emotional effort.
Download Feelings Wheel
Made by Bearable App
Feelings Wheel
(aka Emotion Wheel)
A visual guide that helps you name and better understand what you’re feeling. It starts with primary emotions (like sad, happy, angry, etc.) in the center, and expands outward into more specific feelings (like “disappointed,” “grateful,” or “frustrated”).
How to do it:
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Start at the center: Pick the general emotion that fits best. Are you feeling sad? Angry? Joyful?
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Move outward: Choose a more specific word that really captures your experience. For example, if you feel “sad,” maybe it’s actually “lonely” or “guilty.”
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Reflect or express: Once you’ve named the emotion, take a moment to reflect on why it’s there. You can journal about it, talk it out, or use it as a way to start a conversation in therapy.
Why it helps:
It helps put words to your feelings when everything feels like a blur and it helps build emotional awareness and vocabulary. It's especially helpful if you're used to bottling things up and pushing them into a corner.​
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It also helps you with finding out what you need based on your emotions, instead of reacting out of impulse. In times where you're not sure what you're feeling, it's a great way to check-in with yourself to acknowledge that you're feeling something.​
MEPS
MEPS stands for Mentally, Emotionally, Physically, and Spiritually — four key areas that shape your overall well-being. Checking in with each one helps you better understand what’s really going on inside and what you might need today.
Think of MEPS like a mini self-scan. Pause, breathe, and ask yourself:
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Mentally:
What’s been on my mind? Am I focused, scattered, tired, or overthinking?​ -
Emotionally:
What feelings are coming up? Have I named them?​ -
Physically:
How is my body feeling? What sensations or signals am I noticing?​ -
Spiritually:
What’s grounding me right now? Am I feeling connected or disconnected?​
You can journal it, say it out loud, or reflect silently, whatever feels right.
Why it helps:
This helps build self-awareness and encouraging self-compassion by showing that your needs exist on more than one level. It helps support intentional care by helping you notice what you need most right now and helps practice gentle check-ins.​
Example:​
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Mentally:
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​“My mind feels cloudy, I’ve been doomscrolling all day.”
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Emotionally:
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​“I feel anxious but also kind of excited. It’s a mix.”
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Physically:
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​“My shoulders are tense, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
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Spiritually:
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​“I feel disconnected, but I know being in nature helps.”​
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