Back when I was struggling with depression and anxiety, I learnt a number of grounding techniques to help me focus, keep calm or distract myself from my thoughts and feelings. Today, I want to share some of the ones I found most helpful and a few others which I've found online whilst researching today's post, so that you can use them during difficult times. The exercises are best learnt when you're experiencing good mental health so you can easily bring them to mind when you most need them.
What are grounding exercises?
Grounding exercises are techniques you can use to help with the feelings, thoughts and worries associated with anxiety. They help to manage your symptoms by providing a focus away from uncomfortable thoughts, memories and worries, by bring your attention to the present moment. There are quite a number of different types of exercises, so, I've picked a selection which of physical and mental techniques, plus some which are self soothing in nature.
Mental grounding techniques
Describe a daily routine
Choose something you do every day as part of your routines, for example, washing your face. Go through each step, in order and describe what to do as though you are giving instructions to someone else - First, turn on the hot tap at your bathroom sink. Keep running the water until it becomes quite warm. Put the plug in and fill the basin... and so on.
Play a memory game
Look at a detailed photograph, a painting on the wall or a page in a magazine. Turn over the image or look away from it and describe everything you remember in as much detail as possible. You can check to see how close you were to the features of the original but don't worry if there were inaccuracies in your account!
Describe your surroundings
Spend a few minutes exploring your environment using all of your senses. Now describe your surroundings in as much detail as possible. For example, the wall to my left is painted a cream colour but there's a sticky looking mark about three quarters of the way up, maybe where a poster has been displayed. The ground is very muddy and there are different colours of autumn leaves trodden into the path. The window is open and I can hear someone talking in the distance but I'm not sure what they are saying.
Create a category list
This is one I used to play in bed when I couldn't sleep because of anxious thoughts. Choose a category or two e.g. flowers, things found at the beach, creative hobbies, places in the UK I've been to before etc. List as many items in the chosen category as you can. Repeat for another category.
Recall your favourites
Focus on your favourites and make a mental or physical list of them e.g. favourite ice cream flavour, favourite animal, favourite fragrance etc.
The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method
This one is incredibly popular and you may have read or heard about it before. It's a simple technique that involves using your senses and is a great example of using mindfulness to calm yourself down:
Name 5 things you can see (a red cushion, a pile of leaflets, clouds in the sky)
Name 4 things you can hear (footsteps, birds singing, someone typing, a door banging)
Name 3 things you can feel (your hair against your neck, the hard seat you're sitting on, a rough piece of skin on your hand, your soft jumper)
Name 2 things you can smell (fresh coffee, your hand cream, someone's perfume)
Name 1 thing you can taste (a mint in your mouth, a sip of water, or, if nothing, something you would like to taste right now!)
Physical grounding techniques
Take a short and slow walk
Move with precision, feeling each part of your foot touching the ground, count your steps or notice the rhythm of your movements, do you sometimes feel off-balance, do you move your arms as you walk, does the ground feel hard or slightly soft. You can also try doing this barefoot.
Move your body
Perform simple actions such as stamping your feet, swinging your arms, marching, jumping on the spot, balancing on one leg etc. Explore how your body feels whilst doing each exercise and how you feel afterwards.
Alternatively, stretch different parts of your body and focus on how you feel. Mindful movements can combine to create what can be described as a moving meditation. This website provides some examples of stretches suitable for beginners who are in good physical health. If you have any physical health concerns, please get advice from your doctor before doing any form of exercise.
Put your hands in water
Fill up the sink with your choice of warm or cold water. Submerge your hands. Focus on the temperature. How does it feel on different parts of your hand. Does it feel the same on your fingers, palms and backs of your hands. Try moving your fingers under the water and explore how it feels. Now try the opposite end of the temperature scale. Compare with how it felt before. Alternate between warm and cold and explore how your hands feel.
Explore objects
Pick up and touch different items in your environment name them and describe how they feel e.g. cold, rough, spiky, soft etc. Next, describe the colour or colours - use precise names where you can such as turquoise and magenta rather than blue and pink.
Self-soothing grounding techniques
Enjoy a warm bath
Take a hot bath with bubbles, a scent that you love and a temperature that feels pleasant for you. Lie back, close your eyes and think about how the water feels against your skin. Now do the same for the bubbles. Inhale and enjoy the fragrance as lie there. Bathing mindfully like this will help to take your mind off your current anxieties and stresses.
Make a warm or cold drink to savour
Depending on the time of year, or your personal preferences, choose a soothing drink. Feel the warmth or coldness of the mug or class. Take a sip and think about how it feels and tastes in your mouth. When you swallow, can you feel the drink as it goes down? What effect is the drink having on your body?
Focus on your breath
Sitting quietly, with your eyes closed and focusing on your breathing is a great way to create a feeling of calm and relaxation. There are many different techniques for this, but personally, I prefer to keep it simple. This webpage on the getselfhelp website is a comprehensive written guide that provides instructions and advice to get you started. I recommend trying the method out a few times when you're feeling okay, so you can get used to it and then it will come more easily to you during more difficult moments.
Final words...
I hope you've found the above ideas helpful and that you will give some of them a go to help with the symptoms of anxiety. You might like to print out some of the ideas or make a note of those which particularly appeal so that you are able to refer to them when needed. These are just some of the techniques for grounding yourself in the present moment and you'll find others online or in books on anxiety management if you want to further your knowledge on the subject.
If you want to know more about the different aspects of anxiety before learning how to manage your symptoms, then I would recommend seeking the help of a professional who is trained in talking therapies. I do know, though, that the wait for such services can be lengthy so it's good to speak to your doctor about your difficulties as soon as you can.
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