Hey guys! For this entry in the Self Care Corner, I want to talk about grounding techniques! Grounding yourself is (hopefully) going to help you feel more present and in control of yourself and your surroundings when feeling overwhelmed and anxious, they can also help you disconnect from some problematic memories. Personally, I’ve been kind of struggling with feeling grounded, my mind always feels somewhere else, nothing around me feels quite real, and I feel so shaky that I can’t keep my mind focused on the here and now, so I decided to find some methods for grounding from the internet and from my therapist :) without further ado, let’s get into it! One of the main grounding techniques that my therapist likes to remind me of is cold temperatures, whether this is taking a walk in the crisp fall/winter air (possibly without a jacket), taking a cold shower, or holding an ice cube in your hand and feeling it melt. These are all ways to try to ground your mind to your body and remember where you are. (This can also count as connecting with nature which is another grounding technique!)
Another good grounding technique is the 54321 technique. It goes as follows: name 5 things you can see, focus on 4 things you can feel, name 3 things you can hear, notice 2 things you can smell around you, and focus on 1 thing you can taste. This one is especially useful during panic/anxiety attacks.
Square breathing is one of my favorite grounding techniques. Imagine a square and trace your finger along it (or don’t, that’s up to you!), each side can be as many counts as you want, I usually do 4, breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. There are different versions of this one, so feel free to change it up how you please.
The last one I’ll mention for this Self Care Corner is simply asking yourself questions, such as asking yourself where you are, or simple trivia questions you know about. This can help you to feel more connected to your environment and therefore ground yourself.
I hope these techniques can be useful to you, try them wherever you are, and feel free to share them with friends you think may also find these helpful.
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