GROUNDING EXERCISES

30 Simple Ways to Neutralize Anxiety & Distress

How It Works
Grounding yourself isn’t always easy. It may take some time before the techniques work well for
you, but don’t give up on them. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of these
techniques:
• Practice. It can help to practice grounding even when you aren’t dissociating or experiencing
distress. If you get used to an exercise before you need to use it, it may take less effort when
you want to use it to cope in the moment.
• Start early. Try doing a grounding exercise when you first start to feel bad. Don’t wait for
distress to reach a level that’s harder to handle. If the technique doesn’t work at first, try to
stick with it for a bit before moving on to another.
• Avoid assigning values. For example, if you’re grounding yourself by describing your
environment, concentrate on the basics of your surroundings, rather than how you feel
about them.
• Check in with yourself. Before and after a grounding exercise, rate your distress as a number
between 1 and 10. What level is your distress when you begin? How much did it decrease
after the exercise? This can help you get a better idea of whether a particular technique is
working for you.
• Keep your eyes open. Avoid closing your eyes, since it’s often easier to remain connected to
the present if you’re looking at your current environment.

The Techniques
1. CONNECT WITH YOUR SENSES
Touch
• Put your hands in water: Focus on the water’s temperature and how it feels on your
fingertips, palms, and the backs of your hands. Does it feel the same in each part of your
hand? Use warm water first, then cold. Next, try cold water first, then warm. Does it feel
different to switch from cold to warm water versus warm to cold?
• Pick up or touch items near you: Are the things you touch soft or hard? Heavy or light?
Warm or cool? Focus on the texture and color of each item. Challenge yourself to think of
specific colors, such as crimson, burgundy, indigo, or turquoise, instead of simply red or
blue.
• Hold a piece of ice: What does it feel like at first? How long does it take to start melting?
How does the sensation change when the ice begins to melt?
• Touch something comforting: This could be your favorite blanket, a much-loved T-shirt, a
smooth stone, a soft carpet, or anything that feels good to touch. Think about how it feels
under your fingers or in your hand. If you have a favorite sweater, scarf, or pair of socks, put
them on and spend a moment thinking about the sensation of the fabric on your skin.
Hearing
Listen to your surroundings: Take a few moments to listen to the noises around you. Do you hear
birds? Dogs barking? Machinery or traffic? If you hear people talking, what are they saying? Do you
recognize the language? Let the sounds wash over you and remind you where you are.

Smell
Savor a scent: Is there a fragrance that appeals to you? This might be a cup of tea, an herb or spice, a
favorite soap, or a scented candle. Inhale the fragrance slowly and deeply and try to note its
qualities (sweet, spicy, sharp, citrusy, and so on).

Taste
Savor a food or drink: Take small bites or sips of a food or beverage you enjoy, letting yourself fully
taste each bite. Think about how it tastes and smells and the flavors that linger on your tongue.

Experience Your Surroundings

• Describe what’s around you: Spend a few minutes taking in your surroundings and noting
what you see. Use all five senses to provide as much detail as possible. “This bench is red,
but the bench over there is green. It’s warm under my jeans since I’m sitting in the sun. It
feels rough, but there aren’t any splinters. The grass is yellow and dry. The air smells like
smoke. I hear kids having fun and two dogs barking.”
• Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: Working backward from 5, use your senses to list things you
notice around you. For example, you might start by listing five things you hear, then four
things you see, then three things you can touch from where you’re sitting, two things you
can smell, and one thing you can taste. Make an effort to notice the little things you might
not always pay attention to, such as the color of the flecks in the carpet or the hum of your
computer.

2. CONNECT WITH YOUR BODY

Breathing
Breathe deeply: Slowly inhale, then exhale. If it helps, you can say or think “in” and “out” with each
breath. Feel each breath filling your lungs and note how it feels to push it back out.

Sensations
Feel your body: You can do this sitting or standing. Focus on how your body feels from head to toe,
noticing each part. Can you feel your hair on your shoulders or forehead? Glasses on your ears or
nose? The weight of your shirt on your shoulders? Do your arms feel loose or stiff at your sides? Can
you feel your heartbeat? Is it rapid or steady? Does your stomach feel full, or are you hungry? Are
your legs crossed, or are your feet resting on the floor? Is your back straight? Curl your fingers and
wiggle your toes. Are you barefoot or in shoes? How does the floor feel against your feet?

Movement
• Take a short walk: Concentrate on your steps — you can even count them. Notice the
rhythm of your footsteps and how it feels to put your foot on the ground and then lift it
again.
 • Move your body: Do a few exercises or stretches. You could try jumping jacks, jumping up
and down, jumping rope, jogging in place, or stretching different muscle groups one by one.
Pay attention to how your body feels with each movement and when your hands or feet
touch the floor or move through the air. How does the floor feel against your feet and
hands? If you jump rope, listen to the sound of the rope in the air and when it hits the
ground.

3. CONNECT WITH OTHERS

You can use these techniques to comfort yourself in times of emotional distress. These exercises can
help promote good feelings that may help the negative feelings fade or seem less overwhelming.
• Picture the voice or face of someone you love: If you feel upset or distressed, visualize
someone positive in your life. Imagine their face or think of what their voice sounds like.
Imagine them telling you that the moment is tough, but that you’ll get through it.
• Sit with your pet: If you’re at home and have a pet, spend a few moments just sitting with
them. If they’re of the furry variety, pet them, focusing on how their fur feels. Focus on their
markings or unique characteristics. If you have a smaller pet you can hold, concentrate on
how they feel in your hand. Not at home? Think of your favorite things about your pet or
how they would comfort you if they were there.

4. DO FUN THINGS
• Plan an activity: This might be something you do alone or with a friend or loved one. Think
of what you’ll do and when. Maybe you’ll go to dinner, take a walk on the beach, see a
movie you’ve been looking forward to, or visit a museum. Focus on the details, such as what
you’ll wear, when you’ll go, and how you’ll get there.
• Recite something: Think of a poem, song, or book passage you know by heart. Recite it
quietly to yourself or in your head. If you say the words aloud, focus on the shape of each
word on your lips and in your mouth. If you say the words in your head, visualize each word
as you’d see it on a page.
• Listen to music: Put on your favorite song, but pretend you’re listening to it for the first
time. Focus on the melody and lyrics (if there are any). Does the song give you chills or
create any other physical sensations? Pay attention to the parts that stand out most to you.
• Make yourself laugh: Make up a silly joke — the kind you’d find on a candy wrapper or
popsicle stick. You might also make yourself laugh by watching your favorite funny animal
video, a clip from a comedian or TV show you enjoy, or anything else you know will make
you laugh.

5. DISTRACT YOUR MIND

These grounding exercises use mental distractions to help redirect your thoughts away from
distressing feelings and back to the present.
• Play a memory game: Look at a detailed photograph or picture (like a cityscape or other
“busy” scene) for 5 to 10 seconds. Then, turn the photograph face-down and recreate the
photograph in your mind, in as much detail as possible. Or, you can mentally list all the
things you remember from the picture.
• Think in categories: Choose one or two broad categories, such as “musical instruments,”
“ice cream flavors,” “mammals,” or “baseball teams.” Take a minute or two to mentally list
as many things from each category as you can.
 • Use math and numbers: Even if you aren’t a math person, numbers can help center you. Try
running through a times table in your head, counting backward from 100, choosing a
number and thinking of five ways you could make the number (6 + 11 = 17, 20 – 3 = 17, 8 × 2
+ 1 = 17, etc.)
• Use an anchoring phrase: This might be something like, “I’m Full Name. I’m X years old. I live
in City, State. Today is Friday, June 3. It’s 10:04 in the morning. I’m sitting at my desk at
work. There’s no one else in the room.” You can expand on the phrase by adding details until
you feel calm, such as, “It’s raining lightly, but I can still see the sun. It’s my break time. I’m
thirsty, so I’m going to make a cup of tea.”
• Describe a common task: Think of an activity you do often or can do very well, such as
making coffee, locking up your office, or tuning a guitar. Go through the process step-by-
step, as if you’re giving someone else instructions on how to do it.
• List favorites: List three favorite things in several different categories, such as foods, trees,
songs, movies, books, places, and so on.

6. PRACTICE VISUALIZATION
• Imagine yourself leaving the painful feelings behind: Picture yourself gathering the
emotions, balling them up, and putting them into a box. Or imagine walking, swimming,
biking, or jogging away from painful feelings. Or imagine your thoughts as a song or TV show
you dislike, changing the channel or turning down the volume — they’re still there, but you
don’t have to listen to them.
• Visualize your favorite place: Think of your favorite place, whether it’s the home of a loved
one or a foreign country. Use all of your senses to create a mental image. Think of the colors
you see, sounds you hear, and sensations you feel on your skin. Remember the last time you
were there. Who were you with, if anyone? What did you do there? How did you feel?
• Visualize a daily task you enjoy or don’t mind doing: If you like doing laundry, for example,
think about how you’d put away a finished load. “The clothes feel warm coming out of the
dryer. They’re soft and a little stiff at the same time. They feel light in the basket, even
though they spill over the top. I’m spreading them out over the bed so they won’t wrinkle.
I’m folding the towels first, shaking them out before folding them into halves, then thirds,”
and so on.

7. PRACTICE SELF-KINDNESS
Repeat kind, compassionate phrases to yourself. Say it, either aloud or in your head, as many times
as you need:
• “You’re having a rough time, but you’ll make it through.”
• “You’re strong, and you can move through this pain.”
• “You’re trying hard, and you’re doing your best.”

8. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
List positive things: Write or mentally list four or five things in your life that bring you joy, visualizing
each of them briefly.