Free somatic tool
Which rung am I on?
Your nervous system is always in one of three basic states, and it announces which one through your body — breath, heart, jaw, energy. This is a ten-second check-in: read the three cards, tap the one that matches how your body feels right now, and get one tailored next move. That's the whole practice.
Completely private: everything happens on this page, in your browser. Nothing you tap is sent or stored anywhere.
You're on the top rung — let it count
Name it to yourself: "this is safe and social." Then savor it — stay 20 extra seconds with the warm chest and the easy breath, because the nervous system learns from marinating in safety, not from rushing past it.
Worth a note, too: what got you here — the walk, the person, the music, the sunlight? That's a glimmer, and knowing your glimmers means you can find this rung on purpose. If you want to map your whole ladder, try the polyvagal ladder tool.
Checking in IS the skill — noticing your state is the first rung.
You're mobilized — and mobilized energy wants to MOVE
Nothing is wrong with you: this is your body flooding you with fuel for running or fighting. The fastest way through isn't to sit still and suppress it — it's to give the energy somewhere to go, then apply the brake.
Three moves, in any order:
- Discharge. 30 seconds of brisk movement — shake out your arms and legs, jog in place, push against a wall. Burn a little of the fuel.
- The long exhale. A slow out-breath is the vagal brake. Two minutes with the breathing pacer is enough to feel the shift.
- Orient. Slowly look around the room and name what is actually here, right now — most of the danger is in the forecast, not the room. The grounding tool walks you through it.
Checking in IS the skill — noticing your state is the first rung.
You're in shutdown — and shutdown is protection, not laziness
When things felt like too much, your body pulled the emergency brake and powered down to keep you safe. Be gentle: you don't climb out of dorsal with willpower or self-criticism. Dorsal lifts through the body, in small doses.
Three small moves:
- Warmth. A blanket around your shoulders, a warm drink in both hands. Heat tells the body it's tended to.
- The smallest movement. Wiggle your toes. Stand up. One slow stretch. Not exercise — just proof to your body that it can still move.
- One small contact. Text one person, or step somewhere you can see sky. A sliver of connection or horizon is enough to start.
One thing to expect: the way up the ladder runs through fight-or-flight. If a flash of restlessness or irritation shows up as you come back online, that's not a setback — that's progress, one rung up. See the full climb in the polyvagal ladder tool.
Checking in IS the skill — noticing your state is the first rung.
The ladder in one minute
Polyvagal theory pictures the autonomic nervous system as a ladder: safe-and-social connection at the top, fight-or-flight mobilization in the middle, and shutdown at the bottom, with your body moving between rungs all day in response to cues of safety and danger. You don't choose your state, but noticing it — without judgment — is what gives you a hand on the ladder, because each rung responds to different medicine. This framing comes from Deb Dana's clinical work on polyvagal theory, and the check-in itself is adapted from The Healing Trauma Workbook.
This tool is psychoeducation for noticing everyday nervous-system states; it is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. If shutdown is where you live most days, or the activation feels unmanageable, a trauma-informed therapist can help you climb with company.
More free tools
Are you a therapist? Practice Harbor is an EHR built by a somatic psychologist — with notes, scheduling, and billing that run themselves.
Start free — no credit card