FEELING ANXIOUS? GROUND YOURSELF WITH THESE 5 TECHNIQUES
Anxiety affects even the calmest of people. In a fast-paced lifestyle like ours, where there’s literally always multiple things on our minds, many of which worry us and several responsibilities to keep track of, who wouldn’t get anxious from time to time? However, fear not, for there are simple things to try when life becomes challenging and overwhelming.
Grounding techniques in particular – coping strategies that reconnect you with the present – are a self-regulation mechanism that have been found to be very effective when it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety.
Here are our top 5 suggestions to help calm you down:
1. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Method:
Working backward from 5, use your senses to list things you notice around you to bring you back into the present moment and away from overwhelming thoughts:
5 things you hear
4 things you see
3 things you can touch
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
2. Treat yourself with kindness and repeat compassionate phrases to yourself:
“You’re having a rough time, but you’ll make it through.”
“You’re doing the best that you can and that’s enough”
“You are not alone and this too shall pass.”
If you find this hard to do, imagine what a close and caring friend might say to you in this moment. Take deep breaths and repeat this to yourself for as long as you need.
3. Sing a song or recite a poem you know by heart.
Memorise a poem, a passage or a song that resonates with you and try to recite or sing it to yourself quietly or in your mind when you start to feel anxious. Try to be truly present as you do this. This will both remove you from your negative thoughts by engaging you into the mental activity of remembering the words as well as soothe you emotionally through its content.
4. Stretch!
Physical movement can release pent-up anxious energy. As you stretch, focus on areas where you can “feel” your anxiety: is it in your back, your shoulders, your neck, your head? Intentionally alternate between tensing and relaxing those muscles for a few minutes.
5. Make a List of Positive things, such as:
Things that are working in your favour, even if they are small
Things that you are grateful for today, or in general
Things that you are looking forward to doing or experiencing
Things that make you strong and keep you going
Stopping to experience positive emotions like gratitude can distinctly shift your perspective from an anxious negative state to a mindful positive one.
Although anxiety presents itself in a variety of physical ways, it is primarily a mental state of being. Grounding techniques such as the ones mentioned above target anxiety through a variety of modes such as by turning to mindfulness, self-compassion, mental activity, physical activity and gratitude. Remember that in your anxious moments, these exercises are accessible to you wherever you are and whenever you need.
Author: Debanjali Saha
Debanjali Saha is a counselling psychologist who works primarily with young adults using a compassion-focused approach in therapy. She is very passionate about Self-Compassion, a topic she has been researching since 2014. She has started a wellness community called Couch of Compassion, where she tries to help people relate to themselves with kindness through her writing and workshops.
