Grounding techniques are crucial in managing anxiety. When your thoughts begin to spiral and you feel an anxiety attack building, it’s important to know that you have tools to calm your mind or simply distract yourself from overthinking.
So, the next time you notice yourself feeling anxious, try these 5 exercises to ground yourself and feel calmer.
- Ground through the five senses
Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This one is powerful because it engages your senses and literally forces you to ground yourself in the physical space you are in.
- Touch something cold
There are several ways that you can do this. You can hold an ice cube in your hand or place an ice pack somewhere on your body. Try placing a cold pack over your right ear. When you have a cold sensation, your brain is jolted out of its thoughts and forced to focus on the cold feeling.
- Talk to your anxiety
This one can feel silly but really works for a lot of people. Simply tell your anxiety to stop. An alternative approach is to soothe and gently coax your anxiety. Regardless of how you speak to your anxiety, this mental exercise allows your brain to dissociate from the condition or thoughts. It may not work at first but, as with many things, persistence is key so try it for a while.
- Think of names that begin with every letter of the alphabet
Go through the entire alphabet, starting from A and think of a name that begins with each letter. For example: A-Anna, B-Billy, C-Corinne… And if you get bored of names, try thinking of animals. Providing your brain with a simple but engaging activity can quickly get your mind off of things.
- Imagine breathing colors
Utilizing the breath is absolutely essential in managing anxiety. For me, however, especially when my mind is extra active, I am able to focus for a minute or two but then I go back to worrying and ruminating so try this variation: imagine your inhaling a certain color and exhaling another. This forces you to focus on your breath while stimulating your imagination as well.
dahee
