Practical tools for reflection, regulation and the next helpful step.
These resources are designed to support self-awareness and better conversations. They can help you pause, notice what is happening, name what you need and choose a manageable next step.
They are not diagnostic tools, counselling or crisis support. If you are unsafe, cannot cope, or there is a risk of harm, seek appropriate urgent or professional support.
Sawubona Self-Resources · Resource 01
Move beyond “I’m fine” with the 10 to +1 Check-In.
Sometimes “I’m fine” is the end of the conversation. Sometimes it is only the first answer. The Sawubona 10 to +1 Check-In is a short, self-guided reflection tool that helps a person name where they are, notice what is influencing that number and identify one realistic next step.
It is designed to support self-awareness and better conversations — not to diagnose, counsel or fix someone. Use it for yourself, share it with a colleague, family member or community, or use individual questions as prompts when someone wants help thinking about what comes next.
The aim is not to force a 10/10. It is to notice, understand and find the next +1.
Score
Where am I right now?
See
What is sitting behind the number?
Act
What is one helpful +1 step?
Feel free to use it, adapt it, take what helps and leave what doesn’t. If the conversation needs to go deeper, reach out and we can explore it together.
If a check-in reveals immediate safety concerns or risk of harm, treat it as more than a score and seek appropriate urgent or professional support.
Sawubona Self-Resources · Resource 02
Sawubona ICU — Interrupt. Calm. Understand.
A simple self-guided reset for moments of overwhelm.
SAWUBONA ICU
Interrupt. Calm. Understand.
A simple self-guided reset for moments of overwhelm
INTERRUPT
Pause the spiral. If it is safe to do so, stop for a moment. Put both feet on the floor and say:
“I am overwhelmed right now. I do not have to solve everything in this moment.”
Then slowly count: 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0.
BREATHE
Settle the body. Breathe in through your nose for 4. Breathe out for 6. Repeat for 5 gentle breaths.
Ask: “Can I soften my shoulders, jaw and hands?”
GROUND
Come back to now. Notice: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste or appreciate.
NAME IT
What am I actually experiencing? Am I worried, frustrated, afraid, angry, disappointed, exhausted, uncertain or lonely?
Ask: “What is this feeling trying to tell me I need?”
SORT IT
What belongs to me right now? Use the circles:
CONTROL — what can I do?
INFLUENCE — what can I ask, discuss or try to change?
OUTSIDE BOTH — what am I carrying that I cannot change right now?
Ask: “What can I put down, at least for today?”
Act now
FIND YOUR +1
Do not solve everything. Ask: “What is one small thing that would make the next hour slightly easier?” Your +1 might be: drink water, step outside, make one phone call, write it down, finish one small task, eat something, take a short walk, ask for help or rest.
NOTICE WHAT IS STILL HERE
Ask: “Even with everything going on, what is one thing that is still okay?” Then ask: “What do I still have available to me?” This is not forced positivity. It is remembering the problem is not the whole picture.
CONNECT
You do not have to carry everything alone. Ask: “Do I need to stay with this by myself?” If not, send a simple message: “I’m feeling overwhelmed today. I don’t need you to fix anything. Could you just talk with me for a few minutes?”
THE SAWUBONA ICU RESET
INTERRUPT → BREATHE → GROUND → NAME → SORT → +1 → NOTICE → CONNECT
You do not have to solve your whole life in this moment. Come back to now. Find the next helpful step.
A SAFETY NOTE
If overwhelm becomes a feeling that you are unsafe, cannot cope, or might harm yourself or someone else, this self-guided tool is no longer enough. Stay with someone if possible and seek appropriate urgent or professional support.
Sawubona — I see you. I hear you.
Connection creates stronger tomorrows.
Sometimes overwhelm arrives faster than our ability to make sense of it. Thoughts speed up, everything can feel urgent, and we may try to solve too much at once, react quickly, withdraw or feel stuck.
Sawubona ICU is designed to help create a little space between what you are experiencing and what you do next. The purpose is not to pretend everything is okay, suppress difficult emotions or force positive thinking. It is to help you pause, settle, understand what is happening and identify the next helpful step.
You do not have to solve your whole life in this moment. Come back to now. Find the next helpful step.
Interrupt
Pause the spiral and create a little space.
Breathe
Settle the body with gentle, slower breathing.
Ground
Bring your attention back to the here and now.
Name it
Get more specific about what you are feeling and needing.
Sort it
Separate what you can control, influence or put down for now.
Find your +1
Choose one manageable next step rather than solving everything.
Notice
Remember what is still okay and what remains available to you.
Connect
Decide whether you need to carry this alone.
Return to the programme