How to Ground Yourself: Grounding Techniques & Habits

Last Updated on June 4, 2023

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed as you’re taking on multiple responsibilities and trying to keep up with the constant changes? Maybe you feel you’re being bombarded by alarming news and new information, and therefore being pulled in multiple directions.

The world is a busy place, full of distractions. As a result, it is easy to feel overwhelmed regularly. Once you feel overwhelmed, it can be hard to transfer yourself to a better mental space unless you know how to do it. However, learning to deal with overstimulation and anxiety is a skill you can develop. With enough practice, you can quickly get rid of any negative emotional state you find yourself in.

In this post, you’ll find the five best techniques on how to ground yourself during anxiety and panic attacks. Furthermore, we will go through some powerful grounding habits to keep your mind, body, and spirit grounded daily!

What Does It Mean to Ground Yourself?

To ground yourself means to be in the present moment while balancing yourself psychically, mentally, and spiritually. When you are grounded, you feel stable with a calm mind. On the other hand, when you are ungrounded, you might feel stressed, panicked, anxious, worried, and disconnected.

How to Ground Yourself Quickly

Here are five powerful grounding techniques for panic attacks and anxiety, or for any time you’re feeling overwhelmed and need to ground yourself quickly.

1. Hold an Object In Your Hand

If you feel overwhelmed, pick up anything you have sitting around you. However, the more interesting the object, the more effective it will be for this exercise. Almost everything can be used, like pens, keys, spoons, bottles, and even shoes.

Hold the object in your hand and focus on the texture. Avoid looking at it, just feel it in your hand.

Move the object around in your hand while imagining the shape of the object as you feel it. Try to create a mental picture of what you are holding based on what you’re feeling.

Describe both the shape and texture to yourself.

2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

5-4-3-2-1 is another effective grounding technique that forces you to focus on your senses, but this time you will use all of them.

Look around your surroundings and describe what you see. You can do this out loud if you wish. Focus on one item and describe its physical appearance in detail for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this process until you have described five things.

Now, describe four things that you can feel around you. It may be an object near you. It can also be a physical sensation, such as a chair below you, the temperature of the air on your skin, or maybe an itchy nose.

Describe three things you can hear. You may have to close your eyes and really concentrate, but if you try to listen closely you can always find at least three sounds in your environment.

Focus on the smell. What are two things you can smell right now? Pick up something and smell it if necessary.

Finally, what does your mouth taste? Have a drink if necessary.

Get the 5-4-3-2-1 printable grounding technique cards HERE.

3. Call a Friend You Trust

One of the best ways to deal with being overwhelmed is to contact a friend and just talk. You don’t want to call that friend who seems to always complain about everything. Instead, call an optimistic friend who knows how to make you feel better.

4. Focus On Your Breath

Pay attention to your breathing. Feel the air coming in and out of your body. You can only think about one thing at a time. If your attention is focused on your breathing, your mind will calm down and all the racing thoughts will disappear.

5. Distract Yourself

If all other methods fail, harmlessly distract yourself. You can read a few pages of a book, watch a funny video, put on some music and dance, or maybe take a shower. Do everything possible without hurting yourself.

Avoid using food, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco to distract yourself. Also, pay attention to how much time you spend distracting yourself.

Ideally, you would use these grounding techniques before getting anxious or overwhelmed. Once you feel that your mood is going down, ground yourself as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder and longer it will take to ground yourself. It’s easier to stop a moving train while it’s still moving slowly.

Practice these grounding techniques and be patient. Grounding yourself in any situation is a real skill. It’s not easy to master the skill of focusing your attention purposefully, but it is definitely worth the time and effort.

15 Daily Habits to Stay Grounded

Let’s jump over to habits to keep your mind, body, and spirit grounded. There are many daily habits you can incorporate into your life to stay grounded. The grounding tips listed below will help keep you centered and peaceful.

Habits to Keep Your Mind and Spirit Grounded

1. Slow down

Make a wise decision and stop running around. By clarifying your priorities, you get to do less and accomplish more. Focus on one activity at a time, then pause between each task.

See also: How to live in the moment

2. Take deep breaths

Simple breathing exercises can reduce stress levels. Breathe from the abdomen instead of the chest and try to extend the breathing time. Also, try alternating nostril breathing, activating both sides of the brain by closing one side of the nose at a time with the thumb.

3. Meditate

Daily meditation will help you live in the present moment. Find a quiet place where you can sit down and free your mind from distracting thoughts. Check out my beginner’s guide to meditation to learn how to get started.

4. Pay attention to your self-talk

Replace doubts and limiting beliefs with more encouraging talk to yourself. Just remember, you are always listening. Remind yourself of past achievements and be your best cheerleader.

5. Make time for self-care

When you have a difficult day, be gentle with yourself. Listen to light music or take a hot bath.

See also: 15 self-care ideas for your mind, body, and spirit

6. Take part in meaningful activities

Know your strengths and take the time to do things that bring a sense of flow in life. Take the time to find your true calling for a meaningful life. Check out my previous posts on how to find your true calling and 18 journal prompts to find your purpose.

7. Connect with others

Spend time with caring and supportive family members and friends. Create opportunities to laugh together and engage in deep conversations.

8. Express gratitude

You have so much to be grateful for, you might just need to remind yourself of all your blessings. Let others know how important they are to you and find ways to make them smile.

See also:

• How to feel more grateful
• 50 journal prompts for gratitude
• 100 things to feel grateful for every day

9. Think positively

Try to think on the bright side. An optimistic attitude will enhance your resilience.

Habits to Keep Your Body Grounded

1. Adjust your posture

The way you hold your body can help you feel balanced and provide you with more strength and energy. Stand upright with a straight back and your shoulders held back.

2. Move your body every day

Exercise can keep your body and mind at their best. At least three days a week, do 30 minutes of physical exercise. You can put on a workout video or even just go for a run around your neighborhood.

3. Eat food that’s good for you

What you eat has so much to say about how you feel. Make sure to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and try to avoid processed food, animal products, excess sugar, and salt.

4. Rest and sleep

Give your body time to recover. Although individual sleep requirements vary, for most adults, 7 to 8 hours is enough. Also, pay attention to the quality of your sleep. Darken your bedroom and block out background noise.

5. Be in nature

Try to spend time in nature every day. And if you can, walk barefoot on the grass, sand, or soil. That is one of the easiest ways to ground yourself as you’re receiving direct grounding energy from the earth.

6. Avoid irritants

The irony is that some of the things we do to relieve stress may actually be causing more stress. Try to avoid caffeine and alcohol as much as you can, as well as other irritants you might have.

When dealing with minor and major challenges, your daily choices can help you bring more peace and harmony to your life. Staying grounded will make you happier and more efficient, as well as increase your overall well-being.

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