Speaker 1: Hello, it's good to have you here with me this evening.
Speaker 1: We're going to work through a five four three two
Speaker 1: one grounding script for grief at bedtime together. You can
Speaker 1: keep your eyes open or closed whatever feels better for
Speaker 1: you right now. This exercise takes under four minutes from
Speaker 1: start to finish, so there's no rush at all. I
Speaker 1: know how the quiet of night sometimes lets thoughts circle
Speaker 1: back to what you've lost, and that can make settling
Speaker 1: into sleep feel impossible. Because of that, a short practice
Speaker 1: like this one can offer a steady place to land
Speaker 1: without needing to push those feelings away. You might notice
Speaker 1: your mind wandering to memories or worries as we go,
Speaker 1: and that's fine. The focus stays on what you can
Speaker 1: sense in the present, which gives your attention something else
Speaker 1: to rest on for a few moments. Since grief shows
Speaker 1: up at different times and in different ways, having a
Speaker 1: simple tool ready can help on nights when rest feels
Speaker 1: far off. However, you don't need to for anything or
Speaker 1: expect one session to change everything. Instead, we'll move through
Speaker 1: the steps one at a time, naming what you notice
Speaker 1: without judging it. In other words, this is just a
Speaker 1: way to connect with your surroundings. When the weight feels heavy,
Speaker 1: The counting gives a rhythm that many find easier to
Speaker 1: follow than trying to quiet the mind all at once. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: if a sound or sensation pulls you in another direction,
Speaker 1: you can always return to the next number. That said,
Speaker 1: the whole point is to keep it brief and gentle
Speaker 1: so you can move towards sleep afterward, let's begin with
Speaker 1: your feet on the floor or the bed. You can
Speaker 1: start with naming five things you see in your space.
Speaker 1: There is no hurry at all, because this practice moves
Speaker 1: at your pace. You might see a window, or a
Speaker 1: door or a light fixture. Name each one slowly. However,
Speaker 1: your thoughts may turn to other matters, and that is okay.
Speaker 1: Return to the next item when you notice. Meanwhile, name
Speaker 1: the fourth thing you see. It could be a book,
Speaker 1: or a plant or anything else visible. Take time with it,
Speaker 1: then the third. You are doing well by staying with
Speaker 1: the process. Because the mind wanders, it is normal to
Speaker 1: come back. The second one comes next, Notice it fully.
Speaker 1: Finally the first thing you see and pause after, although
Speaker 1: you feel pulled elsewhere, since that happens often, just name
Speaker 1: the next without force while you rest here. The fifth
Speaker 1: comes last of all. Now shift to four things you
Speaker 1: can touch. Because touch brings you into the body, you
Speaker 1: can feel the texture of each, perhaps a blanket or
Speaker 1: your own hand. However, it feels right to name them
Speaker 1: one after another. Meanwhile, if a worry arises, just let
Speaker 1: it pass. In return, the third touch comes, Now feel
Speaker 1: it without pressure, then the second. You are safe to
Speaker 1: continue at this speed because there is no timeline here.
Speaker 1: The fourth one follows. Pause after naming, although another thought appears.
Speaker 1: Since that pattern continues, you can choose the next number instead.
Speaker 1: While you stay present, the sense of contact grows clearer.
Speaker 1: Next are three things you hear. Because sound is always around,
Speaker 1: you can pick them out. It might be silence or
Speaker 1: a hum. However, the choice is yours. Meanwhile, name the
Speaker 1: third sound, listen closely, then the second. The first one arrives. Last,
Speaker 1: pause to let it settle. Although the mind drifts, since
Speaker 1: that is part of it, you return without judgment while
Speaker 1: the quiet holds you. The three sounds rest easy. Now,
Speaker 1: Now two things you smell. Because scent connects you to
Speaker 1: the moment, Name them gently, perhaps soap or fresh air. However,
Speaker 1: if nothing stands out, that is fine too. Meanwhile, the
Speaker 1: second scent comes. Notice it, although your attention moves. Since
Speaker 1: it does so often, you can name anyway. While the
Speaker 1: air moves around you, the smells stay steady. Then one
Speaker 1: thing you taste. Because taste is subtle, you can sense
Speaker 1: whatever is there. It may be mild or absent, however,
Speaker 1: you name it anyway. Pause now. Although thoughts come, since
Speaker 1: they always do, the single taste holds your focus while
Speaker 1: you remain here. The final sense lands softly. Notice any
Speaker 1: grief that is present right now, without trying to change it.
Speaker 1: Let it sit beside you. Now, take three slow exhales.
Speaker 1: The first one releases tension, The second one deepens the calm.
Speaker 1: The third one prepares you further, keep the body relaxed
Speaker 1: as you prepare for sleep. This works because naming concrete
Speaker 1: sensory details pulls the brain out of grief loops and
Speaker 1: into the present, because it shifts attention from swirling memories
Speaker 1: to what exists right here in the room. Researchers at
Speaker 1: Harvard Medical School Mind Body Institute found this kind of
Speaker 1: focus interrupts repetitive thought patterns that often build at night. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: the steps we followed with naming five things you see
Speaker 1: create an immediate bridge to the current moment rather than
Speaker 1: the past. However, when you continue through the other senses,
Speaker 1: the effect grows stronger because each new detail adds another
Speaker 1: layer of grounding. In fact, the final exhales activate the
Speaker 1: parasympathetic system to lower nighttime arousal. According to University of
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Sleep Edison Center Hall at All, twenty nineteen, although
Speaker 1: grief makes rest feel uncertain, these small choices still provide
Speaker 1: a reliable path toward calm without any pressure to feel
Speaker 1: better right away. Since each counted item keeps the mind occupied,
Speaker 1: you may find the body begins to soften on its own. Therefore,
Speaker 1: the sequence supports sleep by combining attention with breath in
Speaker 1: a simple order. While some evenings the thoughts return quickly,
Speaker 1: the practice gives you something concrete to return to instead.
Speaker 1: On top of that, the exhales at the end signal
Speaker 1: safety to the nervous system, so arousal decreases gradually. Basically,
Speaker 1: this is why the grounding works when loss feels heaviest
Speaker 1: before bed. You can use this any night you need it.
Speaker 1: You might want to try this grounding script tonight before
Speaker 1: you settle in for sleep. Pay attention to how your
Speaker 1: body responds once you finish the steps. Since the whole
Speaker 1: episode runs short, you can easily play it again right
Speaker 1: before bed if that feels helpful. The practice we walk
Speaker 1: through gives you a simple way to shift focus when
Speaker 1: thoughts start looping. Because it works with what you notice
Speaker 1: in the moment, it fits easily into your evening routine.
Speaker 1: If this podcast helps you make sense of your grief,
Speaker 1: join our supporters club and help us keep these conversations going.
Speaker 1: You'll find the link in the episode description. Taking these
Speaker 1: small pauses each night can make the hours ahead feel
Speaker 1: a bit steadier. Meanwhile, remember that whatever comes up is okay,
Speaker 1: and you can always return to the next number. Ultimately,
Speaker 1: these moments of presence add up over time. Good night,
Speaker 1: and I'll see you next time. On grief, let's make
Speaker 1: sense of this shit.