Breathe in as it expands · Breathe out as it contracts
🎵 Auditory Calming Sound (generated in your browser — no download needed)
30%
Evidence: An RCT of adult ADHD patients found significant improvement in subjective
study performance using 15Hz beats vs placebo (Malandrone et al., 2022, European Psychiatry).
A 2024 systematic review found binaural beats reduce anxiety better than silence or noise-cancelling headphones alone
(Baseanu et al., 2024, Applied Sciences). A 2025 Scientific Reports parametric study (n=80) confirmed brain entrainment
occurs reliably, but cognitive benefits depend on the right frequency-carrier combination.
Evidence remains preliminary and effects vary by person — use headphones and try each frequency to find what works for you.
⚡ Grounding Tools
5️⃣ 5-4-3-2-1 Senses
5
Name 5 things you can see right now. Look slowly around the room.
4
Name 4 things you can touch. Feel the texture of each one.
3
Name 3 things you can hear. Listen for sounds in the background.
2
Name 2 things you can smell. Or breathe slowly and notice the air.
1
Name 1 thing you can taste. Or notice the sensation in your mouth.
⬜ Box Breathing — 4-4-4-4
1
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. Fill your lungs completely.
2
Hold at the top for 4 counts. Stay still.
3
Breathe out slowly through your mouth for 4 counts. Empty fully.
4
Hold at the bottom for 4 counts. Then repeat from step 1.
Repeat 4-6 times. US Navy SEALs use this technique for acute stress control.
🌊 RAIN Technique
R
Recognise — What am I feeling right now? Name it precisely. Not "stressed" — "I feel overwhelmed and afraid."
A
Allow — Let the feeling be there without fighting it. "This is here. That's okay."
I
Investigate — Where do you feel this in your body? What triggered it? What does it need?
N
Non-identify — "I am not this feeling. I am the awareness noticing it."
🦶 Feel Your Feet
1
Press your feet flat on the floor. Feel the pressure.
2
Notice the weight of your body in your chair or against the surface beneath you.
3
Press your palms together firmly for 5 seconds. Release slowly.
4
Take 3 slow breaths. With each exhale, consciously relax your jaw, shoulders, and hands.
Physical grounding activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Proprioceptive input (pressure, resistance) counteracts the fight-or-flight response.
💔 RSD — Rejection Sensitivity Response
1
Recognise it: "This intense pain is my ADHD nervous system generating a disproportionate response. It is not an accurate measure of what happened."
2
24-hour rule: Do not respond to what triggered this for 24 hours. The RSD response is immediate but almost always inaccurate. Time allows prefrontal reappraisal.
3
Counter-statement: "My worth is not determined by this person's opinion or this moment's outcome."
4
Physical reset: Cold water on your wrists or face. Physical sensation breaks the emotional loop.
RSD affects ~99% of adults with ADHD. The pain is neurologically real — and neurologically generated, not situationally proportionate (Dodson, 2019).
Need more help?
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please reach out immediately.
You are not alone and support is available right now.
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