GROUNDING in the present moment

     

     Right now is a great time of the year to talk about grounding. Some of us are still riding the high of the New Year Resolutions hoping that finally we will be able to catch our dream by the tail. Others are already in the state of hopelessness, feeling defeated and incapable of changing their lives for the best. Both sides need some reality check. Using grounding skills is one of the best ways I know of to provide reality check for yourself and come to the truth of the present moment.    

     Grounding is a group of skills that are very helpful to human beings coping with stressful situations, as well as many trauma survivors. They can be used to deal with flashbacks, anxiety, dissociation, and any intense overwhelming feelings. As the name of this group suggests, grounding skills help a person utilizing them connect with the physicality of the present moment.  

     For someone, who survived traumas in the past, it is often a difficult thing to do, as the traumatic memories and experiences intrude on the present moment. Trauma survivors often feel, think, and act as if trauma is not over and continuing to happen in the now. It is very understandable given the overwhelming nature of the past experiences. Using grounding skills can help leave the trauma in the past and focus on the present, first for a moment, but with consistent and frequent use for a lifetime. 

     For those, who have not experienced many traumatic things in the past, grounding may be a helpful tool, when dealing with ongoing stressors and difficulties. Believe it or not most of the time our anxiety and fear are about the future that may or may not happen. When we can truly find ourselves in here and now, we can notice that we are OK in the moment, and this is often enough to change the state from highly stressed, edgy, irritable to more calm and relaxed.

     Below a variety of different practices is described. You can pick the ones that seem beneficial to you or test all of them. Each practice can be used on its own or in combination with the other ones in this group.

     1. Using your body to ground

1.1.  focus on your breathing for a few moments; notice how you breathe air in and how you breathe it out, notice the temperature of the air entering your nostrils, notice how your chest and stomach are rising and falling with every breath, notice the rhythm of your breathing; after a few moments of doing it, check in with yourself again to see how you are feeling.
1.2.  Another option is to use your feet. Put both of your feet on the ground. Notice how firm is the ground and how well it supports your feet, notice which parts of your feet are in direct contact with the ground.
1.3. Also, you can use slow and steady movement to ground yourself. For example, start walking slowly in your current space. You can even walk in one spot. Pay attention to the dynamic contact between your foot and the ground. Breathe deeply. If you have more space or time available, do a few yoga stretches. For example, do a downward facing dog pose and walk your feet in this pose.

    2. Using a physical object to ground     

Pick a river pebble or a small stuffed animal or a pendant or a piece of cloth. Any small object that is pleasant to touch and can be carried around easily will do. When you start feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected, grab the object and focus on exploring it. What does it smell like now? What is it like to touch it now? What color is it now? What texture does it have now? If you can find a place where you are alone, you can describe the object and answer these and other questions out loud. If not, do it silently in your mind. This practice can be done anywhere anytime without anyone around you knowing what you are doing.      

 3. Using your environment to ground (AKA 5-4-3-2-1)

One of my clients shared this technique with me a couple of years ago. Since then I used it with multiple people, who found it helpful and easy to perform. Here is an easy way to remember it:
Five things to see, four objects to touch, three sounds to hear, two things to smell, and one positive affirmation to repeat.
When anxiety or a flashback hits, look around you and find five  different things that are of a certain same color (e.g., green).  For example, as I am looking around my room right now, I see a green bottle, a green mug, a bag that has green in it, green picture frame, and green palm tree on the picture. Next,  find four different surfaces or objects you can touch (e.g., top of the table, your own hand, your pants, a pen or a notebook, etc.) As you touch each object, use one or two words to describe the feel or the texture of it. Next, listen to the sounds around you and identify three different ones. As I am writing this post, I can hear clicking of the keys on my keyboard, running water in the kitchen, and a wooshy sound outside. Next, find two different things to smell. Anything that smells relatively pleasant to you will do the trick. Some examples maybe hand lotion, soap, a cup of coffee, perfume, a flower. Finally, use a positive affirmation. Say it out loud or silently. Repeat several times. The last two steps can be used as the stand-alone grounding techniques. See below for more details.

     4. Using your sense of smell to ground         

     Aromas and smells are the only type of the sensory information that
bypasses cerebral cortex; olfactory nerves through the olfactory bulb send information directly to the amygdala (a part of our emotional brain) and therefore smells have much quicker effects on our mood and mental state than sights or sounds.  I advise my clients, who tend to get easily anxious
or overwhelmed,  to always carry with them something that has a pleasant smell. Good candidates are essential oils, such as lavender or peppermint or sweet orange. These oils can be bought in a health food store or online. Put several drops of your favorite oil on a piece of cloth or carry the whole bottle with you and put a drop on your wrist, when needed. Please, note that essential oils are very potent and need to be handled with care. You only need a drop or two for the grounding technique.
     When you get anxious, smell the oil on the cloth or your wrist. Really, focus on the smell. What is it like? How does it make you feel? This is a very quick “pick me up” technique that maybe effectively used in critical circumstances.

   5. Using affirmations to ground

I suggest combining this particular skill with any one of the above. Create your own phrase that helps you connect to the present moment or use from the list below. Once you have a phrase, repeat it out loud or in your mind many times.
- “I am OK here now”
- “Present moment is all I have”
- “All is well in my world”
- “I am safe here and now”
- “I am present”
- “Everything is well now”
-“I am in tune with the flow of life”
-“I am centered and grounded”
- “I am connected to myself and the present moment”

 

   I often use grounding techniques in my regular life. Whether I am stuck at the airport, have too much on my plate, dealing with physical pain, or with a new situation, I put two feet on the ground, keep my spine straight, raise my head high, breathe in deeply and tell myself: “I am OK here now”. Sometimes after that I walk in place or take a very brief walk. Every time I am surprised how such a small trivial thing as putting my  feet on the ground, breathing in, and telling myself I am ok brings me back from the painful past or scary future to a pretty tolerable here and now. I then remind myself to focus on one step at a time or one day at a time or one breath at a time, whatever the situation warrants. I am hoping that you can find a grounding practice that works for you and integrate it into your daily life.
 Happy grounding :)

As always, I am interested in your feedback. Have you tried any of the aforementioned techniques? How did it work? Do you have any other grounding techniques that you would like to share?