• Drop your shoulders – lowering your shoulders signals to the brain that the threat has passed, reducing cortisol and shifting you out of fight-or-flight mode. 
• Unclench your jaw – relaxing the jaw sends a message to your vagus nerve so that you are safe; helping the body move towards calm.
• Breathe in for 4 and out for 6 – exhaling for longer, activates your vagus nerve, slowing your heart rate and calming the body within one minute.
• Put a hand on your heart – this helps the body release oxytocin, which signals safety, connection and grounding to your nervous system.
• Name your emotion – this helps you to process and regulate your emotions more effectively.
• Name 3 things around you – this uses a grounding technique called 'orienting' which signals safety to your brain and helps deactivate the stress response. 

Mrs Westergaard, Wellbeing Team