This document outlines various grounding techniques, which are relaxing activities designed to decrease stress and anxiety by reconnecting you to the present moment. When you feel anxious, your thoughts are often trapped in the past or the future; grounding helps you feel safer in the “here and now”.

Most of these methods focus on your five senses: touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell, to heighten awareness of your physical surroundings.

Physical and Sensory Techniques

These strategies use your body and environment to pull your focus back to the present.

• Touch and Movement:
  • Press your feet firmly into the ground to remind yourself of your location.
  • Carry and touch a polished stone or a soft piece of cloth.
  • Slowly cross your arms and legs to feel the sensation of controlling your body.
  • Exercise, stretch, or massage your muscles to reduce physical tension.
  • Take a warm bubble bath or shower, focusing on the water against your skin.
  • Hold a comforting object, like a stuffed animal or blanket, and notice its texture.
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• Sight:
  • Carry a soothing picture to look at during moments of anxiety.
  • Observe your surroundings (people, sights, sounds) as if you were watching a TV show.
  • Look up beautiful images or paintings online to use as backgrounds or room decor.
• Taste and Smell:
  • Savor a favorite food or drink slowly, focusing entirely on the enjoyment of it.
  • Light a scented candle or visit a place with pleasant aromas, like a bakery or coffee shop.
• Sound:
  • Listen to and sing along with familiar, comforting music, or dance to it.
  • Listen to an audiobook.
  • Use white noise, a fan, or a mini water fountain for soothing background sound.

Cognitive and Internal Techniques

These methods use mental focus and verbal affirmations to shift your mindset.

• Breathwork:
  • Inhale deeply through your nose while counting; exhale through your mouth for twice as long as the inhale. Continue for five minutes.
• Affirmations:
  • Verbalize phrases such as: “It was just a thought or memory,” “It’s over now,” or “I am safe now”.
  • Give yourself permission to stop thinking about the distressing topic.
• Visualization:
  • Envision yourself as a safe, strong, and capable adult.
• Body Awareness:
  • Locate your pulse on your neck or wrist and count the beats per minute.

Nature and Outdoor Activities

Connecting with the outdoors can provide powerful sensory grounding.

• Environment: * Go outside to watch the clouds or take a walk.
  • Visit a park or Arboretum to listen to nature.
  • Go somewhere entirely new, like a museum or a new restaurant.
• Sensory Nature Play:
  • Feel the sun on your face or a cold breeze on your skin.
  • Sit against a tree to feel the bark on your back; smell the grass and leaves.
  • Run your fingers through the grass.

Productive and Creative Outlets

Engaging in a task or a creative hobby can help redirect anxious energy.

• Active Tasks:
  • Get moving by doing dishes, cleaning your room, or organizing your closet and dresser.
  • Pet or play with an animal (your own, or at a shelter or pet store).
• Writing and Art:
  • Write in a journal, focusing on the feeling of the pencil in your hand.
  • Visualize a memory traveling through the pencil onto paper, then tear the paper up.
  • Doodle or color in a coloring book, focusing on the movement of the utensil.
• Entertainment:
  • Watch a fun TV program or website, or play a video game.