When you feel overwhelmed with worry, fear, or stress it is helpful to use grounding techniques to keep your anxiety under control.

Moreover, we have all experienced times in our lives when we feel overwhelmed by feelings of worry or fear of future events.

Using strategies to calm our body and mind is especially important in times of uncertainty, like right now with the COVID-19 pandemic as this situation adds to our regular mental health stressors.

In addition, grounding techniques are helpful to bring our mind and body back to the present moment.

What are Grounding Techniques?

Grounding techniques are strategies to:

• keep your attention focused on what is happening in the present moment

• regulate your mood during times of anxiety or stress

• stay away from unwanted memories, negative emotions or thoughts

• connect with your immediate reality, letting your body and brain know that it’s safe to be calm

When to Use Grounding Techniques?

There is never a bad time to use grounding techniques but they are especially useful when you start feeling:

• irritable

• restless

• unmotivated

• overwhelmed

• unfocused

• worried

• stressed

• fearful

• angry

Furthermore, don’t wait for the negative emotions to take over your body. When you feel that your emotions start bubbling inside you with worry or fear use some grounding techniques to keep them under control.

In addition, It is easier to regulate emotions as soon as they show up than trying to control them in the middle of a panic attack.

You can also use grounding techniques when you anticipate events that usually cause excessive stress such as:

• going to the dentist

• preparing for an interview

• giving a presentation

• accepting new responsibilities at work

• arguing with your partner

When you know how to calm yourself down, you will feel more confident in your everyday life.

Here are more tips on How to Be Happy by Building Self-Confidence

How do Grounding Techniques Work?

Grounding techniques engage your body and mind to focus your attention in the present moment instead of letting your thoughts and emotions run wild in your mind and body.

Difference between Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques

Both, mindfulness and grounding techniques are about staying in the present moment. You may wonder what the difference is:

Mindfulness is being aware and conscious with all our senses of what is happening to us or around us.

Here is more information on How the Be Happy by Practicing Mindfulness

Grounding techniques are used to guide our attention and focus away from intrusive and destabilizing worries or thoughts about the past or future and helping our body and mind to be calm and focused on our safe present.

5 Most Effective Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

Grounding is about reminding your body and mind to feel calm by focusing on the safe present moment.

Grounding techniques are strategies to tell our body and mind that there isn’t any reason to feel restless,  nervous, tense, or in danger.

In addition, it is recommended to practice some grounding techniques every day for a couple of minutes to decrease stress and increase general health.

1 – Control Your Breathing

Find a comfortable and relaxed position.

It is OK to lie down or sit on your favorite chair.

Slowly inhale while you count to 3. Then, exhale by counting to 3. The slower you count the calmer you will feel.

Feel how your belly expands when you inhale and how your stomach deflates when you exhale.

Explore how the different parts of your body feel. Start from top to bottom.

How does your head feel? You can support your head with your hands by leaning your head into your crossed fingers?

How does your back and spine feel? What is you back leaning against? Does it feel hard or soft?

Massage your legs. How do they feel?

Continue inhaling and exhaling rhythmically while counting to 3.

Wiggle your toes. Gently massage your feet and toes.

Imagine all the worries, fears, and negative thoughts leaving your body.

Controlling your breathing is one of the most effective grounding techniques for anxiety.

2 – Eat Healthy Food

Ingesting some liquid or solid food will engage most of your senses especially if you do it slowly and purposefully.

Follow these steps:

• look at the food

• feel the texture of the food in your hand and mouth

• smell the food before putting it into your mouth

• taste it while you chew each bite 40 times

• listen to the sound it makes when you chew

• feel as you swallow

Focusing all your attention on the food you eat is an effective grounding technique for anxiety.

You may also find useful information in: How to Be Happy Eating Healthy Food

3 – Exercise

It may be difficult to concentrate on your breathing or your senses when you feel your body is full of energy.

You may start by doing some physical exercise and later focus on your breathing or senses.

In addition, when you exercise, your body releases endorphins, that trigger positive feeling in your body.

You may:

Go for a walk or run

Dance

Clean up an area of your house

Stretch

You may also like to read: How to Be Happy By Exercising Our Body

4 – Distract Yourself

Distraction can be an effective grounding tool for anxiety when there isn’t anything we can do to change the situation such as when we feel emotional pain.

You may distract yourself with:

• Music

• Writing

• Reading

• Watching a movie

• Drawing

• Talking to someone

• Playing with your pet

Spending some time doing something that you enjoy and that will keep your attention focused on the activity you are completing will help you to feel calm.

5 – Visualize

Imagine the voice or face of someone you love.

It may be a friend, parent, child, family member, significant other, or mentor.

Picture in your mind the other person smiling and comforting you with words or a hug. Feel the soothing effect of being with that person.

Slowly inhale and exhale.

You may also imagine yourself in a place that feels calming, such as the beach, a park, or mountains.

Take some time to explore these grounding techniques for anxiety and see which ones work best for you.

What do you do when you start to feel irritable or stressed? What is your favorite grounding technique?

Let me know in the comments below.