Tips on Staying Sane & Calm While Being Arrested & Sitting in a Jail Cell Alone
| Author | Anonymous (a licensed mental health counselor) |
|---|---|
| Published | 2020 |
| Format | Article |
TL;DR — A two-page activist zine from 2020 by an anonymous counselor, with grounding and breathing techniques for staying calm while arrested and held in a cell.
A two-page foldable zine written in mid-2020 by an anonymous author who describes themself as a licensed mental health counselor and an anarchist who had been arrested at a protest. It is addressed to protesters who may be arrested and held alone.
Most of it is a list of self-soothing and grounding techniques: alternate-nostril breathing, reality-check questions, naming objects in categories, stretching and movement, progressive muscle tension and release, a body scan and the EMDR “butterfly hug.” The author also stresses not talking to police. It closes with anti-police and anti-ICE slogans.
What it is: an anonymous activist zine. The coping techniques are standard ones; the document is not a legal or clinical resource.
Where this came from
- A copy saved in October 2026.
2 pages. A PDF copy is held in Kyle’s private archive; it is not linked or shared here.