Vikki Taylor
19 Mar 2023
Grounding is a word used to describe a technique that you can use to help you feel calmer and more in control. It kind of describes exactly what it is, being grounded, being more in the present, being in our body, rooted to the ground rather than in your head and your thoughts.
When we have experienced trauma, we can, at times, feel overwhelmed by memories, thoughts and feelings. Sometimes we feel ‘triggered’ and experience trauma symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks. Sometimes for no apparent reason we can start to feel really emotional, perhaps we feel scared or perhaps we get really sad and tears start welling up and we’re not sure why, this can be when our body remembers something but our brain is not sure what it is, we are being triggered into an old memory, so we feel disconnected and unsure of what is going on.
Grounding techniques are designed to help us be ‘grounded’ in the here and now – not thinking about the past, worrying about the future or being overwhelmed by our thoughts or feelings.
They include ways that can help you feel more safe, more connected with your body and your surroundings. They also include techniques that refocus your attention away from unwanted memories, distressing thoughts or overwhelming feelings.
Grounding techniques can help you when you:
Feel overwhelmed
Experience a trigger
Feel panic or anxiety
Have distressing emotions
Have flashbacks or intrusive memories
Feel dissociated (this is term used to describe when you can feel floaty, sometimes disconnected from the outside world or zoned out).
Have the urge to self-harm
Grounding can be done anywhere, any place or any time and no one needs to know you are doing it. You can use grounding techniques when you are experiencing a trigger, when you feel a strong emotion, when you feel like using substances or self-harming, are having a panic attack, or when you feel yourself dissociating. When this happens try and keep your eyes open to stay in touch with the present, try and focus on the here and now, not the past or future.
Here are several different grounding techniques, categorised them into three types: Mental Grounding, Physical Grounding and Soothing Grounding. Just remember some of these techniques might work for you but some might not, but if you can keep trying usually one or two will help.
Mental grounding
1. Have a good look around and describe your environment in detail, e.g. ‘I am on the train, I can see trees and a river, there is a dog chasing a ball etc2.
2. Mental games: e.g. go through the alphabet thinking of different things such as types of dogs or cities, count backwards from 100 or count only odd numbers up to 100. Anything where you have to concentrate on something.
3. Describe an everyday activity in detail, such as how to make a specific recipe or how to drive or walk to your nearest shop.
Physical grounding
1. Run warm or cool water over your hands and wrists or splash your face with cool water.
2. Touch different objects, your pen, your keys etc. describe their texture to yourself either outloud or in your head, for example cold, rough, jagged etc.
3. Dig your heels into the floor; remind yourself that you are connected to the ground. Press your hands against a wall.
Smell something you like such a perfume or a herb or a flower
Tune into the sounds around you - such as bird song, a dog barking, a song etc.
Soothing grounding
1. Say kind statements to yourself, e.g you will get through this etc.
2. Remind yourself that you are safe now, that was then, this is now.
3. Think of a safe place, it could be real or imagined, for example the beach, the mountains, your favourite place, your favourite person or pet.
4. Say coping statement such as I can handle this, I have done it before etc.
What if grounding doesn’t work?
People who have used grounding say it does work but requires practice, so try to do some every day, it will become automatic after a while. You don’t have to use the methods listed above, you can think up your own, you may find that it works far better for you. Try to start grounding as early as possible in a negative mood cycle, for example when you start to feel a little anxious, perhaps your hands start to feel a bit clammy, your heart starts to beat a little faster, your chest feels a little tight, or just after a flashback, try not to leave it until later. Notice which method works best for you and lastly, don’t give up!