17 Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

What Are Grounding Techniques?

Grounding techiques were first developed by psychotherapists Alexander and Leslie Lowen and introduced in their 1977 book, The Way To Vibrant Health. Modern techniques involve various exercises that you can perform mentally or physically to bring yourself into the present moment. Each exercise targets various parts of your physical, emotional, or visual experience and asks you to become aware of your surroundings or yourself. These techniques include visualization, movement, stillness, self-talk, or simply noticing sensations.

17 Grounding Exercises for Anxiety

The list of exercises below introduces various methods people can use to reduce or manage anxiety symptoms. Each of these 17 exercises targets unique experiences of anxiety. You can find which resonates with you the most or try them all.

1. Leaves On A Stream

When your thoughts are racing, slowing down your reactions and feelings toward yourself or others can be difficult. As you feel this happening, it is helpful to visualize these thoughts outside of yourself in an exercise like Leaves On A Stream. This exercise can be done anywhere in a moment of anxiety without anyone knowing what you’re up to.

Here’s how to do this exercise:

• Plant your feet or bottom firmly where you are (of course, if you are driving or working in hazardous conditions, wait until you’re safely parked or otherwise safe)
• Imagine your thoughts are outside of you
• Picture each of these thoughts transforming into leaves floating in the wind
• Watch each thought as it softly lands on a river and flows down the stream away from you

2. Touch Hot or Cold Items

It’s easy to get stuck in your head when anxiety takes over. Becoming aware of the sensations around you can help to take you out of your head and back into the present moment. Whether it’s a coffee mug (not too hot, of course), or running your hands under cold water, finding items around you and noticing the temperature differences can help calm your nervous system. As you continue to notice the sensation of touching different temperatures, you will slowly bring your awareness into the here and now.

3. Imagine the Voice or Face of Someone You Love

When you’re upset or distressed, imagining yourself in the presence of someone who makes you feel safe can be helpful. Think of someone positive in your life. Imagine their voice and them speaking uplifting words to you. You can also imagine their face and the warmth of their presence. Imagine them telling you that this moment may be difficult but that you’ll get through it.

4. Move Your Body

In The Body Keeps The Score, Bessel van der Kolk connects traumatic stress and how it shows up in our bodies. The author shares how when animals experience trauma, they physically respond and, in so many ways, “shake off” their stress. Anxiety is similar for humans. Sometimes, it is helpful to get back into the body and “shake off” our anxiety in the moment.

You can try the following exercises to get your body moving:

• Stretching your muscles one by one
• jumping up and down
• jogging in place
• jumping jacks
• jumping rope

5. Listen To Your Surroundings

In the throes of anxiety, it can be helpful to get connected with the here and now through listening to your surroundings. Take a moment to listen to the noises around you. What do you hear? Is there a horn honking? A dog barking? People talking? What are they talking about? Is it in a different language? Pause for a moment and allow the sounds to be there. Notice as peace washes over you by just being aware.

6. Play A Memory Game

Give yourself a moment of peace from your anxiety by exercising your brain. In this exercise of noticing, you can turn your attention away from anxious thoughts and feelings. You can play this game in just about any setting.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Examine an image, painting, or photograph for five to 10 seconds
• Then either look away or turn the image face down
• Now 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

7. Perform A Body Scan

Get grounded by performing a body scan. This exercise can help you become aware of where you’re holding tension so you can begin to let go and relax. You can start wherever you are by focusing your attention on the top of your head and forehead. Notice the sensations you feel in that area of your body. Is it tense? Tight? Relaxed? Do you feel a cool breeze in this area of your body? Heat? Any emotions there? Then, go down your body slowly and repeat the process of noticing as you go.  You can decide what speed and direction you prefer each time you do this exercise. This can be a way to turn your attention to your body and where you are holding tension and can boost self-awareness and relaxation.

8. Give Yourself Self-Kindness

Anxiety can cause you to question and feel guilt over things you’ve said or done that a person without anxiety wouldn’t consider twice. It can lead to overthinking and negative self-talk that can exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings. Practicing self-compassion and kindness is the answer to this detrimental thought loop.

As many times as needed, repeat a caring phrase to yourself in your head or aloud. You can try something like:

• “I am doing my best”
• “I am strong, and I can move through this pain”
• “I am having a rough time, but I will make it through”

9. Sit With Your Pet

If you have a pet, you can incorporate them into grounding yourself when anxious. You can do this by taking a few moments to sit with your pet and begin to notice its unique qualities. Pet their fur and focus on how it feels under your nails. Examine their markings as you hold them. Notice how they feel in your hands.

If your pet is away or you’re not home, you can use your imagination to perform the same process.

10. Savor Food or A Drink

When you have anxiety, it can be easy to gulp down a meal or drink without really noticing the flavors, textures, and scents of what you are consuming. Slowing down and eating mindfully can create the anxiety buster you need at a given moment. To do this, slowly eat small bites of your snack or meal or take small sips of a favorite beverage. Consider the flavors on your tongue, the textures of the food or drink, and the smells you notice. Do you notice a hint of a flavor you hadn’t recognized before? Does the scent bring you comfort? Does it bring back any pleasant memories?

11. Make Yourself Laugh

Humor can cut through the most serious of moments, especially when that serious moment involves anxiety. For this exercise, you can either make yourself laugh or watch something that gives you the same response. Coming up with a silly joke of your own can be simple. It can be of the “dad joke” variety or a clever quip that makes you smile. If you choose to watch something, you can find a clip of your favorite comedian, watch funny home video clips, or find something else you know will be funny to you.

12. Put Painful Feelings In A Box

Visualizing yourself letting go of a difficult situation, a tough moment or a decision you need to make can do wonders for anxiety. You can compartmentalize the situation, step back from your problems, and recognize that they don’t have to consume you. The exercise can be done with actual paper or as a visual exercise anywhere you are.

The following steps will help you perform this exercise:

• Start by imagining there is a box in front of you
• Now visualize yourself picking up all of the emotions troubling you and balling them up like a bad idea on a piece of paper
• Toss, throw, or plop these crumpled pages into the box
• When you are done, you can shut the box and walk away

13. Change The Channel

This visualization technique is an excellent grounding skill for acknowledging that while your problems may not go away immediately, they don’t have to take over your life. You’ll start by imagining your thoughts are like a song or TV show you dislike. Simply visualize yourself picking up the remote and changing the channel or turning down the volume anytime. Your problems may still exist, but you must not listen to them.

14. Touch Something Comforting

Pick up your favorite comfy sweater, silky scarf, or warm blanket for this grounding method. Put this comforting item on and spend some time noticing the sensations of the fabrics on your skin. Notice the quality of the texture. Hold it in your hands and examine the rough, smooth, fuzzy textures with your fingers. What does your body notice that your fingers don’t and vice versa?

15. Mindful Walk

Walking around your home, office, neighborhood, or wherever you are can bring you out of anxious thoughts and ground you in the present moment. As you walk, notice what you see, smell, hear, feel, and taste. Treat the experience like a walking meditation. Bring your attention to your pace and how it feels to lift your leg and take each step. Play around with the speed and rhythm of your stride.

16. Practice “5-4-3-2-1”

Grounding with the 5-4-3-2-1 method removes your focus from anxious thinking and into the five senses. This technique can be done anywhere when troublesome thoughts are taking over and you need rest.

Here are the steps to follow for this exercise:

• First, look for five things you can see. Maybe it’s a blue sky or the texture of your hand. Slowly scan your surroundings and choose five things to focus on individually.
• Next, choose four things that you can touch or feel. You can choose something you can hold in your hands, walk up to, or even the sensations of your feet in your shoes.
• Notice three things that you can hear. Is it the buzz of your air conditioner or heating unit? Can you hear traffic in the distance? Are there any birds chirping? Is someone typing?
• Now, notice two things that you can smell. Is the smell pleasant? Sweet? Strong? Comforting? You can smell the palm of your hand or your shirt if nothing stands out.
• Finally, bring your awareness to one thing that you can taste. Is it the remnants of the last thing you ate today? Lick your lip. Is there a taste there? Rub your tongue across the top of your mouth. Is there any flavor there?

17. Listen To Music

Music transforms anxiety, allowing you to step away from your worries and ground you in the experience of listening. Simply turn on your favorite song, and instead of busying yourself with another task, listen to it as if it is your first time hearing it. What physical sensations do you notice while listening? Where do you feel each instrument, melody, vocal tone, or word? What stands out the most?

Continuing Your Mental Health Journey Through Therapy

While grounding exercises can be helpful, they don’t cure or treat severe anxiety. If you find that you are often experiencing anxiety, no matter what you try, it may be time to seek professional help. These days, you can find therapy in person or online, and we have a list of the best online therapy options for anxiety we’ve compiled for anyone seeking help. There is also an online therapist directory where you can find a local therapist to see in person or virtually based on your criteria. If you or a loved one struggles with anxiety symptoms, therapy can help you manage, change your relationship with anxiety, and even uncover and dismantle the issues causing it. Seeking help is the first step.