Chaos to Calm Resources
This page is here for you, whether you’re a mum in the thick of it, or a loved one who needs tools to find steadier ground.
Crisis Support - You are not alone
DBT Skills
Practical Grounding and Calming Tools
Learn and Understand
Support for Mums
Other Useful Contacts and Apps
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When calm feels out of reach…
Do you find yourself packing a bag through tears, shaking hands, or a mind that won’t stop racing, unsure what to take, what’s allowed, or how you’re supposed to hold it all together?
You’re not alone.
A psychiatric admission can feel overwhelming, frightening, and impossibly fast.
In those moments, clear guidance is more than helpful — it’s a lifeline.
That’s why this Psychiatric Admission Packing Guide was created.
You’re doing the best you can in an incredibly hard moment.
This guide walks you through everything gently and simply:
🧳 What to Pack – soft, safe, comforting essentials your child will actually need
🚫 What Not to Bring – so you don’t waste time or energy second-guessing
📄 Documents to Have Ready – the things that keep communication clear
🕊 A Small Bag for You – because your wellbeing matters too
✔️ A Printable Checklist – your anchor when your mind is foggy and your heart is racing
You don’t have to do this alone.
When calm feels out of reach…
When the world feels a little too loud…
Do you ever notice how easy it is to care for everyone else — and how hard it is to slow down long enough to care for yourself?
You’re not alone.
That’s exactly why I created these Calm Journal Pages: a quiet space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what you really need.
Sometimes, calm doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from listening inward. From letting yourself rest. From remembering that you’re doing your best.
These gentle pages are here to help you do just that:
🕯 Page 1: Calm Journal Prompt – a simple reflection to guide you toward what you need more of (and less of) right now.
💌 Page 2: Dear Me – A Letter of Kindness – a space to write to yourself with the compassion you so freely give to others.
Because calm isn’t something you have to earn — it’s something you can always return to.
When calm feels out of reach…
Do you ever feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells, one minute holding it together, the next snapping, crying, or shutting down completely?
You’re not alone.
This is where the Window of Tolerance can be a game-changer for both you and your loved one.
Sometimes, we expect ourselves to stay calm when everything inside us is screaming.
Other times, we expect our children to “just pull it together” when, really, they’re already overwhelmed.
The truth is, our nervous systems can only handle so much.
That’s why I’ve put together these two simple guides for you:
Graphic 1: The Window of Tolerance shows what’s happening inside, above, and below the window for you and your loved one
Graphic 2: 5 Ways to Return to Your Window, a simple cheat sheet to gently guide you both back to calm
The Calm Down Box
A Personal Anchor When the Storm Hits
What Is a Calm Down Box?
A Calm Down Box (sometimes called a self-soothe box or grounding kit) is a personalised collection of small, comforting items that help you, or your loved one, ride out moments of overwhelm, anxiety, panic, or distress.
Think of it as a first aid kit for emotions, something tangible to reach for when your mind feels stormy and you need to feel grounded, safe, or soothed.
It’s not about “fixing” feelings.
It’s about helping the nervous system calm down, one sense at a time.
Why It Helps
When emotions run high, our brains go into survival mode, fight, flight, or freeze. Logic goes out the window, and sensory comfort becomes powerful.
Touching, smelling, or seeing something soothing brings the body back into the present and that’s when calm can start to return.
What to Put In Your Calm Down Box
Everyone’s box will look different, the magic is in making it personal.
Here are some ideas to get started (you can mix and match depending on who it’s for mum or young adult ❤️):
👁 For Sight
Fairy lights or a small soft-glow lamp
A photo of somewhere peaceful (the beach, your dogs, family, etc.)
Affirmation cards or calm quote cards
Glitter jar / snow globe (watching movement is grounding)
👂 For Sound
Noise-cancelling earplugs or calming playlist (QR code card to a Spotify playlist)
Mini sound machine or ocean-wave speaker
Stress relief podcasts or meditation app suggestions
👃 For Smell
Lavender or chamomile essential oil
Scented roller ball or room spray
Dried lavender pouch
A candle (for adults only — never for hospital use)
🤲 For Touch
Smooth worry stone or piece of sea glass
Soft blanket, stress ball, or fidget toy
Cooling gel pack or heat pad
Sensory putty or clay
👅 For Taste
Herbal tea bags (peppermint or chamomile)
Mint sweets, sour candies, or gum
Something familiar and comforting like a small snack bar
💛 For Heart & Mind
A short handwritten note from you to yourself (or from parent to child): “You’ve got through 100% of your worst days so far.”
Mini notepad and pen for “thought dumping”
A list of emergency contacts or calming reminders
Grounding cards (5-4-3-2-1 method, breathing techniques, or affirmations)
📦 How to Use It
When emotions start to rise or a panic moment hits:
Pause. Take a slow breath.
Open your Calm Down Box.
Choose one thing that draws you in, maybe it’s the smell, texture, or sound.
Engage your senses one by one. Let your body do the calming before your mind tries to make sense of it.
Repeat when needed. There’s no wrong way to use it.
💡 Top tip: Keep it somewhere visible and easy to reach, by the bed, under your desk, or near the sofa. Refill or change items as your needs shift.
🛍 Want to Create Your Own?
You can easily make one at home with things you already have, or build one slowly over time.
A Final Thought
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to anchor yourself when they come.
A Calm Down Box is that anchor, a gentle reminder that calm isn’t far away, even when chaos feels close.
Build it, personalise it, and let it grow with you.
When calm feels out of reach…
Do you ever find yourself or your child stuck in big emotions — angry one minute, tearful the next, or completely shutting down?
You’re not alone.
This is where the Feelings Wheel can make all the difference.
Sometimes, we don’t have the words to explain what’s really going on inside.
Other times, we only notice the surface emotion — frustration, sadness, anxiety — without realising what’s sitting underneath it.
The Feelings Wheel helps bridge that gap.
By naming emotions clearly, we activate the logical part of the brain — the part that helps calm the storm and bring us back to balance.
That’s why I’ve put together this simple guide for you:
🌀 The Feelings Wheel — a visual tool to help you and your loved one recognise, name, and talk about emotions more easily, so you can move from chaos to calm, one feeling at a time.
Practical Grounding and Calming Tools
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