Stress

Grounding Techniques – What They are & How They Can be Helpful

Posted on by Jenna Fortinski

Grounding – I’m sure you’ve heard the word before! But what does grounding actually mean, and how can we practice it? Grounding techniques are tools we use to stay in the present moment. These tools might help reduce your feelings of anxiety, panic, or other forms of distress. Grounding tools can be helpful when we’re feeling overwhelmed, or when we’re experiencing negative emotions.  

This blog will cover several grounding techniques, in hopes that you might find one that you like! Grounding can be done physically and mentally. You might find that physical techniques work better for you compared to mental techniques, or vice versa. You might also find that a combination of both works well for you! Whatever the case, you might learn that grounding can be a helpful tool to keep in your back pocket the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by certain emotions. Using grounding in these moments can help bring you back to the present.

Physical Grounding Techniques

  1. Run your hands under cold water – feel the temperature of the water on your fingers and pay attention to whether you experience the same feelings in your fingers, hands, and palms.
  2. Pick up a few items in the room that you’re currently in. Notice the different textures and colors of these items. Are there parts of these items you hadn’t noticed before?
  3. Sit in a chair. Feel your feet against the floor, your bum in the seat, your back against the seat. How does each body part feel as you’re sitting?
  4. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method – Working backward from 5, use your senses to list things you notice around you. For example, you might start by listing:
    • 5 things you hear
    • 4 things you see
    • 3 things you can touch from where you’re sitting
    • 2 things you can smell
    • 1 thing you can taste
  5. Practice progressive muscle relaxation – starting with your toes, tense each muscle group in your body for a few seconds and then release. Notice the difference you feel in your body when you tense, and then when you release. This can help you become more aware of the physical sensations in your body and relieve tension.

Mental Grounding Techniques

  1. Spend a few minutes taking in your surroundings. Notice what you see, and maybe even start pointing out things in either the same category, or different categories. For example, you can point out all the objects in the room that are blue or point out all the office supplies you see around you. 
  2. Take some time to visualize your favourite place. This might be the home of a loved one or another country. Using each of your senses, imagine the noises you would hear if you were there, the objects that you might see, and the scents you might smell. When was the last time you were there? Think about what you did there and how it felt at the time.
  3. List five things you’re grateful for at this moment. 
  4. Listen to music – pay attention to the parts of the song that stand out to you the most.
  5. Practice mindful thinking – whenever a thought pops into your head, gently acknowledge the thought without judgment, then bring your focus back to the present moment. Imagine that you’re watching your thoughts float by, like a bystander, noticing them and letting them go.

These are some common and simple grounding techniques to get you started! Try some out and see what you think. When you notice that one works for you better than another, get curious about that. What might that mean for you? 

These techniques are helpful in getting us out of our thoughts, and into the present moment. This can happen when we feel overwhelmed, and it might feel difficult to come back to our surroundings. The next time you feel ‘stuck’, try using one of these techniques!