The Power of Grounding Techniques

Have you ever felt like your mind was racing so fast that your body couldn’t keep up?  We usually call this feeling “anxiety”.  We feel disconnected and untethered.  The good news is that we can use simple grounding techniques to return us to our present moment.

“Grounding” is a set of tools we use to bring our awareness back to the here and now, and they are especially helpful in those moments of anxiety, worry or even emotional overwhelm. It is similar to other techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive restructuring and somatic awareness.

When we are feeling stress in one form or another, we activate our sympathetic nervous system.  Most of use know this as our “fight or flight”.  Grounding helps us activate our parasympathetic nervous system.  This is our “calm down” mode.  This state helps us regulate our emotions, reduce our tendency to ruminate and restore a sense of control.  This is especially helpful for people who have suffered trauma as grounding can help people anchor themselves safely in the present moment.

Grounding as a technique shows up in CBT, DBT and trauma-informed care.  It can also be a great tool in treating unbalanced anger.

Here are three simple grounding techniques:

1. 5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Take a moment to identify 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste.
2. Body Awareness: Pause to feel your feet on the floor or your back against the chair.
3. Breath Technique: Take a deep breath. Feel the tension in your body and relax those areas as you exhale.  This can usually be done in 2-3 intentional breaths.

Like all of the life-hacks we come across in our world, grounding takes time to master.  The great news about grounding is that it is a simple technique that is free and always accessible to you.  With enough practice, grounding can become  powerful part of your mental health toolkit.

Here’s my challenge to you: Try one of these grounding techniques today.  Pause to notice what shifts for you as you practice this.  What have you got to lose?

source https://www.lifesworkclinic.com/the-power-of-grounding-techniques/