Scribd
Upload
19 views

Grounding techniques

Uploaded by

zehra abidi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
19 views

Grounding techniques

Uploaded by

zehra abidi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Grounding is a practice that can help you pull away from flashbacks, unwanted

memories, and negative or challenging emotions. help you refocus on the


present moment to distract yourself from anxious feelings.
What are the 5 grounding techniques?
Once you find your breath, go through the following steps to help ground
yourself:
 5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. ...
 4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. ...
 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. ...
 2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. ...
 1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.

Physical grounding techniques

These techniques use your five senses or tangible objects — things you can touch — to help
you move through distress.

1. 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.

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.

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?
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, citrusy, and so on).

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.

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
 four things you see
 three things you can touch from where you’re sitting
 two things you can smell
 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.

Think in categories
Choose one or two broad categories, such as “musical instruments,” “ice cream flavors,” or
“baseball teams.” Take a minute or so 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 may help center you.
Counting backwards from 100
Multiplying numbers by 2 , or start adding 5 into numbers

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.


List favorites

List three favorite things in several different categories, such as:


 Foods trees
 Songs movies
 Books places

Visualize your favorite place

Think of your favorite place, whether it’s the home of a loved one or a foreign country.

Using each of your senses, imagine the noises you hear, the objects you see, and the

scents you can smell. Try to recall the last time you went there. Think about what you did

there and how it felt at the time.

Touch something comforting


This could be your favorite blanket, a much-loved T-shirt, a smooth stone, 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.

Here are some additional 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.
 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.

Activity for lifting mood or elevating depression

Behavioural Strategies for Managing Depression (health.wa.gov.au)


CBT for anxiety

Pride and gratitude log.

Useful for depression as well, where client can write the positive things or feeling they feel or
exp through out the day. Keeping a log or a journal of things you feel good about

You might also like