SameHere Scale and STARR Gym Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the SameHere Scale, its levels, and the STARR Gym For The Brain exercises for proactive mental health.

SameHere Scale

An evidence-based mental health check-in tool and communication continuum that measures nervous system shifts from "Thriving" to "Sinking" to provide a common language for emotional well-being.

SameHere Global

The global movement that created the SameHere Scale and uses the American Sign Language sign for "same here" to show understanding, care, and connection.

5-in-5

A concept stating that all of us live on the mental health continuum, moving away from a binary view of "healthy vs. sick."

Polyvagal science

The scientific foundation of the SameHere Scale, explaining how everyone fluctuates along a sliding scale based on the brain-body connection.

SCALE App

An application that monitors and enhances mental wellness by allowing users to "track" their health trends and "act" via expert-backed brain gym exercises.

STARR

An acronym standing for "Stress & Trauma Active Release & Rewiring."

STARR Gym For The Brain™

A collection of proactive mental health exercise modalities designed to address chronic stress, regulate the nervous system, and rewire emotional responses.

STARR Alliance Experts

Inventors, lead researchers, or top influencers of mind/body healing modalities who act as "trainers" for the STARR Gym exercises.

Thriving

A state on the scale where the body feels ready, the brain feels clear, and the individual feels focused, connected, and energized.

Gliding

A state on the scale where the body feels calm and the brain feels organized, allowing a person to move naturally and steadily with what is happening.

Surviving

A state on the scale where the body feels tired, the brain feels busy or distracted, and doing the basics takes extra effort.

Fluctuating

A state on the scale where the body feels restless and the brain feels jumpy or scattered, making focus and patience harder to hold.

Struggling

A state on the scale where the body feels tight and the brain feels overloaded or stressed, often resulting in feelings coming out through bigger actions.

Sinking

A state on the scale where the body feels exhausted or frozen and the brain feels quiet or foggy, making pulling away feel safer than trying.

Victory Breath

A STARR exercise used when thriving or gliding that involves reaching arms up while breathing in slowly through the nose and out through the mouth.

Sphinx Stretch

A STARR exercise used when surviving that involves lifting the chest and pressing hands down to wake up energy without pushing.

Tapping

A STARR exercise used when fluctuating that involves tapping the right hand to the left knee and switching to help both sides of the brain work together.

Snowman Breathing

A STARR exercise used when struggling that involves breathing in slowly and letting the arms "melt" down on the exhale to safely move big energy out.

Havening

A STARR exercise used when sinking that involves crossing the arms and slowly rubbing down to help the body feel safe and connected through touch.

What happened to you?

The alternative question to "What is wrong with you?" which shifts the focus from judgment to understanding a person's behavior.