Grounding techniques also known as grounded exercise’s are useful for relaxing ourselves when we’re feeling overwhelmed. If you find yourself stuck with a strong emotion, these simple and powerful grounded techniques take just a few minutes and can be practiced at any time. They can help you to feel anchored in the present and restore balance in your body and mind. The grounded techniques for anxiety and grounded exercises are a great way to feel calm and in control during tough times.
You can practice grounded techniques to help yourself become more aware of the here and now. Grounded exercises can be brief tactics or more involved, structured activities. No method of grounding oneself is “wrong”; instead, various people respond differently to different tactics. Maintaining the connection and cooperation between your body and mind is the primary goal.
In many situations, when you find yourself getting overwhelmed or sidetracked by upsetting memories, ideas, or feelings, grounded techniques can be beneficial. Grounded exercises can help bring you back to earth if you find yourself becoming engrossed in intense emotions such as anger or anxiety, if you find yourself thinking incessantly and in a stressful manner, if you experience a strong, painful memory or a flashback, or if you wake up from a nightmare with a racing heart. Grounded techniques for anxiety, disassociation, panic disorders, and stressful situations.
Having a variety of grounding exercises at your disposal can be beneficial at different times. We often discover that not all grounded techniques will work at all times, just as no single grounded technique works for everyone. Looking through lists of grounded exercises and making a list of all the ones you believe would be helpful to you is one way you can do. Keep your own list close at hand. Then, you may look over your list and select the tactic that will be most useful when you find yourself in need of relief.
Using our senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to re-establish a connection between our mind and body in the here and now is the goal of the grounded exercises that follow. We are reminded that we are secure and that we are here right now by our fundamental human senses.
You may find one or two grounding exercises that you find particularly helpful when going through the ones provided below. Remember that you should only perform the skills that you are comfortable with and if you don’t feel comfortable try another skill.
Grounded Techniques And Grounded Exercises That Work
- Take ten slow breaths. Focus your attention fully on each breath, on the inhale and on the exhale. Say the number of the breath to yourself as you exhale.
- Remind yourself of who you are now. Say your name. Say your age now. Say where you are now. Say what you have done today. Say what you will do next.
- “My name is ________, and I am 54 years old. I am in my living room, in my home, in __________, in ______. I woke up early today. I had a shower and fed my dog. I just finished my coffee and toast. Soon I am going to go in to work. I am going to walk down ______ street and then turn left at the grocery store. Then I am going to….”
- Sip cold or hot water.
- Hold a can of soda in your hands. Feel the coldness and condensation along the can. Notice the bubbles as you drink the beverage.
- Turn your attention to your clothes that you are wearing. Notice the sensation of your clothes on your body and how they feel when you move. Notice how your feet feel enclosed in a shoe.
- If you are sitting, feel the chair under you and the position of your body. Notice your legs and arms and how they feel in the chair. Notice your back against the back of the chair and notice your posture. Notice your feet and how they feel on the ground.
- If you are lying down, feel yourself against the bed, sofa, or ground. Feel the surface you are lying upon. Starting from your head, notice how each part of your body feels against the surface.
- Stop and listen. Notice and name what sounds you hear around you. Start with the closest sound and then notice the softest sound or the loudest sound. Move your awareness to all of the sounds that are surrounding you.
- Look around you. Notice what is in front of you and to each side o fyou. Ame and notice the objects that surround you.
- Pick on object that is within your field of vision. Trace it’s outline and notice the qualitites and characteristics of that object.
- Get up and walk around. Taky your time and notice yourself walking. What is your body doing? What is around you? What sights and smells are you experiencing?
- Wear an elastic band on your wrist and gently flick it (do not hurt yourself). Notice how that feels and pay attention to the feeling.
- Step outside and notice the temperature of the air. Look up and look at the sky. Notice the things going on around you. Sights, sounds, and smells.
- Notice five things you can see, four things you can hear, and three things you can feel, and two things that you can smell, and one thing that you can taste. This is known as the 54321 grounded technique.
- Run your hands over a textured object. Notice how that feels.
Grounded exercises are primarily intended to increase awareness of the safety of the present moment and to foster a connection and cooperative relationship between our mind and body. Please contact Sobair Mental Health and Wellness if you’re eager to improve your grounded techniques. When you’re dealing with intense emotions, we are here to help you remain calm. Let’s get started to develop a personalized plan that will help you feel more grounded.