Getting Started with Grounding Techniques
During a very stressful period in my life I would periodically get a bruise at the center of my chest and I had no idea where it came from. One day I caught myself repeatedly tapping my fingers to my chest while having an argument with my partner—this nervous habit was giving me the bruise. When you’re feeling anxious or dysregulated the body will naturally want to self-soothe. This could show up as fidgeting, constantly looking away, touching your hair...any sensory input that can bring yourself back to the present.
Grounding is anything that helps us reorient ourselves to the present. This is usually achieved by focusing on the senses to pull ourselves back into the body.
With so much going on in the world it’s easy to become ungrounded and get sucked into an anxiety spiral.
Here are some grounding techniques you can try out at home and incorporate into your self-care rituals.
One of the fastest ways to introduce a new sensation into the body is by experiencing a quick temperature change. This can be as simple as splashing cold water onto the face, holding an ice cube, eating something spicy, having a cold drink or as intense as hopping into the shower and alternating between hot and cold water.
Engage your other senses by lighting a candle and enjoying the aroma, noticing and observing your surroundings, or listening to music. Doing any of your normal activities with the intention of slowing down and participating mindfully will create a completely different experience. It’s tasting your food versus shoveling it down while watching YouTube videos or listening to every single lyric in a song and absorbing its meaning instead of tuning it out as background noise.
If meditation and yoga feel like too much effort, go on a meditative walk. Instead of your usual route around the block take a detour or loop it backwards. You can jolt yourself back into the body by breaking down old patterns to make an old routine feel new.
You can ground yourself mentally by expressing yourself through journaling. It doesn’t need to be a cute journal written with perfect handwriting and filled with poetic thoughts. Reach for a cheap composition book and a pencil and don’t add pressure by expecting any particular result. Everyone’s style of journaling is different. Maybe you’d prefer to free write about whatever is on your mind. Writing can help you confront whatever thoughts you were running away from and give you the chance to address them. There are also a lot of free journal prompts available online. Reminding yourself of what you know and where you are in your life will help you regain a sense of control.
Grounding doesn’t solve the problem that's contributing to your anxiety or emotional pain, but it can help cultivate self-awareness. You can do your best to plan the day around avoiding triggers, but know that you have the ability to connect back with the body and hold space for yourself.