Grounding yourself is reconnecting your physical, mental, emotional, and energy states when you’re experiencing anxiety or intense emotions. Personally I find myself practicing grounding techniques several times a day.
Experiencing the entire world with all of the senses at once is overwhelming. Overheard conversation, daily stresses, random encounters, unplanned social interaction, unexpected smells and loud sounds are all things encountered every time we leave the safety of our homes. For someone living with anxiety, PTSD, intense emotions, or just having a bad day the constant battering of the surrounding world could test limits. Sometimes we just need a breather. Sometimes it’s hard to find the space to take that breather- how can you center yourself in the middle of the chaos?
Enter grounding techniques. When you’re on the go, grounding might be a challenge. Let’s talk on the go technique. Look around yourself. How many blue things are around you right now? This is distraction, this pulls your attention away from yourself and into your surroundings. The general goal with any form of grounding practice is to make the processing frontal lobe of your brain think. When you can think, your brain will feel safer and soon your body’s reactions will follow suit.
Speaking of the body, use your own body to ground yourself. Press your toes into the floor, squeeze a stress ball or playdough. Remember, nothing is silly or childish if it works for you. If you have an object that gives you comfort, bring it with you. Breathing is a common technique if you’re good with numbers. 4-7-8 breathing is one of my favorite things to do when I’m starting to feel anxious. Inhale to 4, hold for 7, exhale to 8. Easy breezy breathing!
Similar to distraction, observation is a simple technique to ground yourself in the midst of feeling chaotic. Find an object and describe it in detail. Tell yourself about color, shadows, texture, shape, position, distance. Every possible detail. I use a combination of observation and 4-7-8 breathing to center myself. Any of your senses could work, your favorite sweatshirt might have a comforting weight, a charm bracelet might have a pleasant sound when the charms knock against each other. Even soothing essential oils can change how your brain reacts, read more about how in my earlier post “From Mental to Mindful.” There I talk about using scent to center and ground myself when I’m feeling distressed. My blend The Calm Before has been a complete game changer for me, reducing my panic attacks and anxiety levels significantly.
While on your mental health journey, it is good to remember to be patient with yourself. Every body is different. It’s okay to take a little time and find what works for you. I hope you found something useful here. You deserve a life of peace, what will you do with yours?
Peace to you,
Willow
Owner, Rooted in my Strength
If you’re interested in learning more about how to start your essential oil journey and how aromatherapy can help you find your peace, sign up for a free consultation and work with me to choose or build a custom product, designed for your needs in mind.
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