Grounding is just as it sounds, a term used to explain the process of recentering yourself to be in the present. I use it in therapy when anxiety levels are getting very high with a client and being present feels unbearable. You can lean on a grounding tool whenever you feel like your thoughts are moving too quickly or too slowly and thus leading to hyperactivity or what may feel like a paralysis. Grounding will help you recenter and be present rather than being panicky and detached.
Secondly, the more you practice a grounding skill, the more effective it becomes.
There are many types of grounding activities. There are two things that are very important to keep in mind when grounding. Firstly, you want to remove your focus from what is creating your anxiety. Secondly, the more you practice a grounding skill, the more effective it becomes. Not all grounding techniques are created equal so you need to try a couple to see which ones feel good for you. I’m going to detail three techniques I have found helpful and why they might help you.
- Mental grounding. Look around you and describe 10 items out loud without using any adjectives that describe an emotion such as happy color or depressing cloud. If after saying ten descriptive statements, you do not feel grounded, do it again or try another technique. An example would be: There is a flower vase in front of me. It’s painted purple and has gold trim.
You might find this helpful because it forces your brain to stop thinking about whatever it is that is making it feel anxious. And because you are saying it out loud, it helps your brain focus even more on what it is you are saying. Adding descriptive words that are emotionally neutral helps you stay present and focused on your surroundings rather than the untethered anxious thought in your head.
- Physical grounding. Light a pleasantly scented candle and hold it between your hands. Focus on the warmth in your hands and how the candle feels between your hands. And try and pick out the different notes you can smell.
I find this exercise to be soothing. We often associate pleasant smells with pleasant memories, so you can be allowing a pleasant memory to come back and you can also be associating a grounding technique with a pleasant smell which helps make this even more of an effective tool. Smelling and focusing on smell gently brings you back to the present without needing to use any more mental energy. I use this exercise when entering the headspace is too triggering to even do a mental grounding.
- Sit mindfully. Take a deep breath. Check in with your body and see how it’s feeling, notice any tensions or pains in it. And then take your fingertips and place them on a surface near you. Drag your fingertips down and notice for yourself how the surface feels. Is it grainy, rough or smooth? Are there ridges? Does it feel good to the touch? As you’re moving your fingertips, is the surface feeling warmer or colder? Take another deep breath and check in with your body again. Then listen to the environment around you and see if you can identify 5 different noises.
I find this exercise helpful because it challenges you to pay attention to your body and your environment. It helps address both the mental and physical grounding without getting you too much into your mental space. It also introduces being present with your body so you can feel and notice your body as it slowly calms down.
