5 Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

Disclaimer: I am no mental health professional, and this list of techniques that I have compiled from my experiences in therapy and personal research. These have worked for me, but may not work for everyone.

Sometimes, we find ourselves trapped in the gripping claws of anxiety or a panic attack. We feel out of control, as if there is no escape. The following techniques can help ground yourself and your thoughts and distract your mind from the inner distress that you feel.

1. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Notice your surroundings and try to find:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

Focus on elements of your surroundings that you may not have noticed before. This is one of my favorite and most useful techniques as it allows your mind to focus on your five senses.

2. Alphabet Names

Go through the alphabet from A-Z, and try to come up with a girls name that starts with every single letter of the alphabet. For example, Anna for A, Bethany for B, and so on. Go through the entire alphabet this way. Coming up with names for some of the harder letters like Q will hopefully distract your mind.

3. Tracing the skin of your hands.

Hold up one of your hands with your thumb facing towards your body. Then, with the other hand, take your pointer finger and trace the outline of your hand, traveling up and down each finger. Take notice of how your hand feels, is it dry? Is it soft? What is the texture like? With this technique, your mind will shift its focus to feeling the texture of your skin and away from negative thoughts.

4. Body Scan Meditation

Find a place where you can sit comfortably, whether it be on the floor or on a comfy chair. Close your eyes and take a few breaths. Then bring your attention to your toes. From your toes, shift your awareness up your body, moving through each body part you can identify, from your shins to knees and up to your head. If you would like to try a guided meditation, follow the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS2yDmWk0vs

5. EFT tapping

This is one technique that is relatively new to me. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. It is very similar to acupuncture, except that you use your fingers to tap and apply pressure rather than needles. EFT is based on certain points in your body that are said to be “energy hot spots” that restore balance and calm energy in the body.

Tap each of the following points 3-7 times with your dominant hand.