Finding Calm Through Grounding Techniques

When anxiety or overwhelm take hold, it can feel like your thoughts are racing ahead of you. Grounding techniques bring you back to the present moment, helping the body and mind slow down. They are simple, portable, and backed by solid evidence in trauma and anxiety treatment.

Here are three grounding exercises you can begin using today:

1. 5–4–3–2–1 Senses Scan

   • Look around and identify five things you can see.

   • Notice four things you can touch.

   • Listen for three sounds in your environment.

   • Identify two things you can smell.

   • End with one thing you can taste.
     This sequence interrupts spiraling thoughts and anchors you in the here and now.

2. Temperature Shift

   • Hold a cold glass of water, splash your face with cool water, or step briefly outside if the air is brisk.

   • Temperature changes activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which helps regulate stress responses.

3. Grounding with Your Feet

   • Plant both feet firmly on the floor.

   • Push down gently, noticing the pressure and connection to the ground.

   • Focus on how your body feels supported by the surface beneath you.
     This small action can quickly reduce feelings of floating or dissociation.