Effective Grounding Techniques to Treat Anxiety

anti-anxiety grounding techniques

Grounding is a useful technique that helps us calm down through tough situations and reminds us of the present. This way, rather than being trapped in thoughts that make you feel anxious, you will focus on what is happening to you in your body or surrounding at present. Being grounded also means feeling connected to the earth, and this comes with significant grounding benefits. This happens when we walk barefoot on the grass or the ocean. Stress causes a disconnection to our bodies. When anxiety or depression hits you, the various anti-anxiety grounding techniques come in handy.

You probably have gone through situations that cause anxiety to your body. It may be panic when you want to try something new, lost in past events, dreams, or when you feel numb. 

Grounding will keep you rooted in your body and this result in less stress and anxiety. It will also help you refocus and find the strength to enjoy the present moment.

Effective Anti-Anxiety Grounding  Techniques

There are various anti-anxiety grounding techniques that can help you calm down when you are highly sensitive. Below are the 7 top anti-anxiety grounding techniques to consider:

  • The 5-4-3-2-1 Anti-Anxiety Grounding Technique

This calming technique will take you through five sessions in order to help you through a stressful situation and remind you of the present. These grounding techniques redistribute energy from the mind to the body. The technique involves:

5-Look: Look around your room or out the window and identify 5 things you see, now say them loudly.

4-Feel: Listen to your body and say aloud 4 things you can feel. For instance, I feel the air in my nostrils, I feel my hair on my neck, etc.

3-listen: Name 3 things you hear at the moment. This could be the noise of birds outside or traffic noise.

2-Smell: Describe 2 things you can smell. I smell coffee, fresh flowers. If you can’t smell anything now, say your 2 favorite smells.

1-Taste: Name one thing you can taste.

To complete the session, take a deep breath.

  • Lean on Your Chair

Find a comfortable chair and ensure that your feet reach the ground. Breathe in and out slowly and ensure that your mind focuses on your body. Position yourself such that your back presses on the back of the chair’s surface. When performing this technique, bring yourself to feel the chair texture.

The next step is to push your feet to the ground. When doing this exercise, imagine that energy is draining from your mind to your body, and then to the ground through your feet. As the energy drains down to your body, you will experience your body parts becoming heavy. What’s more, you are responsible for deciding how you want your energy to look like.

  • Touch and Focus on an Object

This is one of those calming anti-depression grounding techniques. Find something around you like a water bottle, and bring your mind to focus on it. Take a look at the object’s color, shape, pattern, and any other interesting feature. This will calm you down when going through a tough situation.

  • Distract Yourself

The key to this technique is to distract yourself from situations or thoughts that make you feel anxious. This will especially work when you focus on something that is not emotionally driven. For instance, if you are having trouble sleeping, pick something that will require full concentration to tackle. This can be counting numbers backward by 7.

  • Observe Your Thoughts

This is one of the excellent anti-anxiety grounding techniques and when you are consumed by thoughts. The trick is to allow each thought that comes to mind finds its place and watch it as it goes away. So, instead of feeling drained by the thoughts, you will find peace since you don’t need to respond.

  • Use your Foot to Calm Down

There are several ways to use your foot to calm down quickly. The first one is drawing around your foot in your mind. With your feet placed on the ground, bring your mind to imagine drawing an outline on each foot. Start at the heel and go up to the toes and then back to the heels.

The other grounding technique for when you are stressed is to focus on your feet. Try wiggling and separating the toes while in your shoes. Then, tense up the whole foot before stretching it and repeat with the other foot.

  • Get Your Energy Out

Last but not least, try to do some physical activities in order to get that pumped-out energy out. This is particularly handy if you are not able to do the above grounding techniques because you are full of energy. Some of the physical activities you can engage in include dancing to loud music, running outside, running on the treadmill, or even chores that require energy.

Afterward, perform the grounding techniques that work best for you.

Conclusion

The above anti-anxiety grounding techniques are designed to calm your mind so that you are able to tackle the stressful situations in your life. Instead of allowing your thoughts and past events to trouble your mind, you will be able to focus more on what’s going on around you. Once you know how to ground yourself, you feel more rooted in your body, and you will feel less stressed and anxious.

Try any of the above grounding techniques now to get the grounding benefits like stress reduction.