Grounding is a practice that can help distract you from your feelings, thoughts and anxiety.  One way that grounding helps is by refocusing your mind on the present.  It helps to bring your attention to what is happening in your surroundings, instead of being stuck on the thoughts in your head that are causing you to feel anxious.

This happens by “grounding” you in the present instead of worrying about things that may or may not happen in the future, or events that have already happened, but you find yourself going over and over again in your head.

The grounding technique uses your five senses to help you move from feeling anxious and out of control, to a feeling of calm and tranquility.  In short, it’s a great way to calm down quickly.

Start by breathing in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth.  Slowly look around you and find…

  • 5 things that you can see- it can be a cup, a pen, anything in your surroundings
  • 4 things that you can touch- this can be your hair, a pillow, a chair
  • 3 things that you can hear- a bird chirping, your furnace, a car going by
  • 2 things you can smell (or 2 smells you like)- something cooking, the smell of your shampoo
  • 1 thing you can taste- something you just ate, chocolate, toothpaste

Take a deep breath.

This is called grounding and is great at breaking the cycle of negative thoughts and emotional responses that are driven by anxiety and fear.  Once you have calmed your racing mind, you are in a better place to deal with how you are feeling.