Grounding techniques are a useful set of skills that can be utilized when feeling anxious, panicked, dissociated, or if you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts. These techniques are used to help you refocus on your body instead of your strong emotions or thoughts. They’re a handy tool to have on hand to help you feel more centered and cope in the moment.
Here are some grounding techniques to utilize next time you feel anxious:
5 Senses Grounding
Tapping into our five senses is a powerful way to ground ourselves in our bodies and in our current space. Ask yourself these five questions – or even write them down while you do the activity if that’s accessible to you.
- In this moment I see.. (Note things you see around you. A table, chair, lamp, books, etc.)
- In this moment I hear… (Note some things you hear at this moment. Do you hear people walking, car traffic, sounds of nature?)
- In this moment I smell… (Note everything you smell right now. Are there any smells in the air?)
- In this moment I taste… (Are there any tastes in your mouth at this moment? Note them without judgment.)
- In this moment I feel/I can touch… (What sensations can you note? Do you feel a chair under you, or the floor under your feet?)
1 Sense Grounding
Another approach in using our senses to ground, is to tap into one of our senses strongly for a few minutes. What is a strong smell, taste, or sensation that could help you feel back into your body/space and let you clear your mind? Some examples are:
- Bite into something sour or spicy, such as a lemon, a strong lemon candy, or a spicy treat. Let yourself focus on that taste and move away from your thoughts.
- Do a physical activity that brings you fully into the moment. This could be balancing on one foot, holding a plank, holding an ice cube. You could also do a paired muscle relaxation exercise, which would be clenching your fists when you inhale and releasing your muscles when you exhale.
The Categories Game
This activity is a great way to change your thought content for a few minutes. If you’re able to change what you’re thinking about for even a minute or two, it can greatly reduce the intensity of an emotion you’re feeling in the moment. For this exercise, pick a category and list as many things you can that apply to that category. You can even try to list them alphabetically for an extra challenge. Some category examples are:
- Movies
- Countries
- Books
- Animals
- Sport Teams
Grounding techniques can really help to reduce our feelings of anxiety and panic, and promote feeling centered in your body and in your space. Like any other coping skill, the more you practice the more effective they’ll become. Try out a few of these techniques and see which ones work for you!
