Resourcing in therapy—frequently used in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)—is a powerful technique that helps clients build internal and external calming strategies to manage distress, foster safety, and regulate emotions.
At its core, resourcing strengthens the observer self, invites attention to positive sensations, and expands the window of tolerance. This allows people to remain present—even during trauma processing—without becoming overwhelmed.
In a world shaped by socio-political intensity, collective grief, and chronic urgency, resourcing isn’t just a clinical tool. It’s a daily practice.
Below are 15 grounded, accessible ways to resource yourself and build resilience.
1. Be the Change You Wish to See
If you believe in collective care, equity, and understanding, embody those values consistently. Change begins in small, everyday actions.
When in doubt, simplify. Ask for help. Practice what you preach.
2. Put Yourself on Your To-Do List
With constant urgency in the world around us, everything can feel overwhelming. Carve out intentional time for rest, self-care, reflection, and rejuvenation.
Resilience requires replenishment. You deserve sustainability.
3. Set Realistic Expectations
You are living in intense times. Of course you feel it.
Instead of pushing yourself beyond capacity, recalibrate. What is actually doable today? What can wait? Sustainable change requires pacing.
4. Bring in Creativity
Sing. Dance. Write. Draw. Giggle. Paint. Sew. Make something with your hands.
The stress response needs an outlet. Creativity brings us back into our bodies and into the present moment.
Joy can be revolutionary.
5. Connect with Friends and Community
No one is coming to save us—we need each other.
Get to know your neighbors. Share skills, food, and resources. Offer childcare. Sit together.
Co-regulation is key. Our nervous systems settle in safe connection.
6. Beautify Your Space
Organize a drawer. Donate old clothes. Rearrange your desk. Light a candle.
When the world feels chaotic, tending to your immediate environment can restore a sense of agency. Sometimes your space is what’s within your control—and that matters.
7. Notice Simple Joys & “Glimmer” Moments
Therapist Deb Dana coined the term glimmers—micro-moments of regulation that gently shift the nervous system away from fight-or-flight.
The warmth of the sun on your face.
A favorite song.
A friendly smile.
Tiny moments can create meaningful shifts.
8. Take Time to Process Your Feelings
Find a therapist you trust—someone who isn’t afraid to address the heaviness of being alive in this era.
Processing can also happen through journaling, art, or movement. Feelings metabolize when they are acknowledged.
9. Recognize What’s Inside Your Control
Hopelessness grows when we focus solely on what we can’t change.
While we can’t control every circumstance, we can influence our responses. That realization alone can feel liberating.
10. Take Things Day by Day
Give yourself permission to mess up. To learn. To try again.
Growth is nonlinear. Your needs, rhythms, and capacities shift. Reclaiming that truth is also revolutionary.
11. Trust the Universe
Many people turn to spirituality for solace and meaning. There may be a larger context to what is unfolding.
Trust does not mean bypassing reality. It means naming what is happening while still allowing yourself comfort, faith, and connection beyond the immediate.
12. Recognize, Then Shift a Negative Mindset
A technique often used in cognitive-based therapies involves first recognizing fear, anxiety, rage, or despair—without judgment.
Self-compassion comes before reframing.
Ask gently: What can be learned here? What meaning might emerge? Remain open.
13. Practice Radical Acceptance
The term radical acceptance, rooted in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), invites us to fully accept reality with mind, body, and spirit—without resistance or judgment.
Acceptance does not mean approving of injustice. It means conserving energy that would otherwise be spent fighting what already exists, so you can respond with clarity.
14. Turn Toward the Light
Especially in winter months in the northern hemisphere, sunlight matters.
Light therapy and vitamin D can support mood regulation. Even on gray days, step outside and turn your face toward the light. Seasonal shifts affect the nervous system—it’s normal to feel that.
15. Dance It Out
As Pulitzer Prize–winning author Alice Walker wrote:
“Hard times require furious dancing. Each of us is proof.”
Movement, joy, and embodied expression are not luxuries—they are survival tools. Dancing through grief is an act of resilience.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Resourcing reminds us that healing happens in layers—internally and collectively. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply ready for support, working with a skilled therapist can help you build tools that last.
Schedule a consultation with one of our holistic, experienced clinicians. We’re here to walk alongside you on your journey—grounded, steady, and attuned.