“When you turn your attention away from thoughts, memories, or worries, you can refocus on the present moment” (Fisher, 1999).

In today’s world, many of us struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief of all kinds. Many people also struggle day to day with various stressors and not being able to implement skills or tactics to help them combat those respective stressors or challenges. The use of grounding skills can be powerful and pivotal in helping a person change or redirect their thoughts towards focus and balance.

What are Grounding Techniques?

Grounding work consists of skills or techniques that help an individual reduce intense emotions, anxiety, stress and other stressors in a given moment. There are many types of grounding skills including breathwork (ex. Box breathing, diaphragmatic breathing), journaling, the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, meditation, holding something cold or hot in your hand, going for a walk, body scanning, etc. 

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different grounding skills one can choose from to help with self-soothing, self-awareness, and regaining focus in the present moment. It is important to know that what might work for one person with grounding may or may not work for another. Each approach to grounding must be tailored to the individual, as we are all different. 

Benefits of Implementing Grounding Techniques

Grounding work can help us reorient ourselves back into the present moment especially when we become disoriented, disconnected, or even dissociated. Grounding work can help people put some distance between themselves and a difficult emotional experience. The brain has a way of going into what we call the “fight or flight” response when encountering negative stimuli in the moment or even reliving a bad memory of something. This is a natural response from our brain to protect us from an actual or perceived threat – but it can backfire if we find ourselves in situations where we are so emotionally dysregulated that we find it hard to concentrate in the present.

Advantages to using grounding skills:

1) Decrease Emotional Overwhelm: Manage negative responses to stressful situations so you don’t shut down or become flooded 

2) Restore Focus and Control: Regain consciousness of your thoughts and actions and choose how you want to respond

3) Regulate Your Nervous System: Rewire the autonomic nervous system back to the parasympathetic system that helps with calming the body after a stress response (“fight or flight”)

4) Accessibility: Having grounding skills available at any time is an advantage, as one can learn to use them as tools whenever stressors arise

Recognizing the Limits of Grounding

As helpful as they are, there can be some challenges to using grounding skills, including difficulty in finding skills that stick, inconsistency in practice, and finding the “right” skills that brief you relief, knowing that there is not a one-size-fits-all for everyone. Grounding is also not a cure-all that will fix deeper mental health challenges or completely heal individuals with long term mental health related issues. 

Seeking Professional Guidance

It might be helpful to speak with a mental health professional if you are unsure how to implement certain grounding techniques. Learning the proper application can dramatically increase the effectiveness of using these skills. Again, grounding skills are powerful tools that can help one focus and find clarity in a moment. While it sometimes may take time, everyone can take some time to find the right type of grounding skills that work for them. 

By: Gianne Shah, LCPC 

References:

​Fisher, J. (1999). The work of stabilization in trauma treatment. Trauma Center Lecture Series, Boston, Massachusetts.