Five finger & Bilateral Eye Movement Deep Breathing (Clock Exercise)

Exercise 1: Bilateral Eye Movement Deep Breathing (Clock Exercise)

Purpose

This grounding exercise combines bilateral eye movements with paced deep breathing to facilitate nervous system regulation. Bilateral stimulation, as used in EMDR-informed approaches, has been shown to reduce emotional arousal and vividness of distressing material, and has demonstrated moderate and significant effect sizes in therapeutic contexts.

PubMedCentral(PMC)The combination with diaphragmatic breathing leverages dual-attention mechanisms that aid in emotion regulation, particularly for anxiety and trauma-related distress.

PubMedCentral(PMC)

Setup

• The client may keep their eyes open or closed, whichever feels safest.

• Instruct the client to sit comfortably with feet flat on the ground.

• Briefly model the exercise before beginning.

Script

[Preparation]

"Before we begin, take a deep breath in and shake your shoulders. Tighten them up, then drop them down to release any tension you're feeling. Ground your feet to the ground. Wiggle your toes. Feel the earth or the carpet beneath you."

[Introduce the Clock]

"Imagine a clock face in front of you. There is twelve o'clock at the top, three o'clock to the right, six o'clock at the bottom, and nine o'clock to the left. Our eyes will be the clock hands. We will move in two rounds: first clockwise, then counterclockwise."

"As you shift your gaze, do not strain your eyes. We want just a gentle shift, not too much tension."

[Clockwise Round]

• "Look up to twelve o'clock. Take a deep breath in. Hold for three... two... one. Release your breath and bring your gaze back to center."

• "Now shift your gaze to three o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release and return to center."

• "Now down to six o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release and center."

• "Now to nine o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release and center."

• "Once more, back to twelve o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release. Back to center."

[Counterclockwise Round]

• "Now we reverse. Look up to twelve o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release and center."

• "Shift to nine o'clock. Hold, three... two... one. Release and center."

• "Down to six o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release and center."

• "Now over to three o'clock. Deep breath in. Hold, three... two... one. Release and center."

[Close]

"Come back to presence. Keep your eyes gently closed. Notice how your body feels."

Exercise 2: Five-Finger Tracing (Finger Breathing)

Purpose

This exercise pairs tactile sensory input (tracing the outline of one's hand) with paced breathing. It engages mindful observation and body awareness, which are core components of mindfulness-based grounding.

GuilfordPressThe tactile focus provides an anchor for attention, making it especially useful for clients with ADHD or autism who benefit from sensory-based regulation.

Setup

• The client can keep their eyes closed to focus entirely on the physical sensation.

• The non-dominant hand is held open, palm facing the client; the index finger of the dominant hand will trace.

• All attention should be on the sensation of the finger tracing and the breath.

Script

[Introduction]

"Now keep your eyes closed. We are going to do the five-finger tracing exercise. All of your attention is on the sensation of what your finger is feeling as it traces the outline of your hand."

"The speed at which you trace determines the speed of your breathing. For deeper, slower breaths, slow down your tracing. For a slightly faster pace, speed up. Choose whatever is comfortable for you."

[Begin at the Thumb]

• "Start at the base of your thumb, near the wrist."

• "As you trace up the outside of your thumb, breathe in slowly. The breath follows the finger."

• "When you reach the top of your thumb, pause. Hold for three... two... one."

• "Now trace down the inside of your thumb. As you descend, exhale slowly. Release... release... release."

[Continue Through Each Finger]

• "At the base between the thumb and index finger, pause. Hold, three... two... one."

• "Now trace up the index finger. Inhale as you go."

• "At the top, pause. Hold, three... two... one."

• "Trace down. Exhale. Slowly."

• Repeat for the middle finger: "Ascend and inhale... pause at the top, three... two... one... descend and exhale."

• Repeat for the ring finger: "Trace up, breathe in... hold at the top, three... two... one... trace down, breathe out."

• Repeat for the pinky finger: "One final ascent. Inhale... inhale... inhale... At the top, hold, three... two... one. Now trace down. Exhale... exhale... exhale... exhale."

[Close]

"And that is it. Let your hands rest. Notice any changes in your body. Notice your breath."

Therapist Guidance Notes