Grounded.
What is Grounding?
Recently, I made a short video on the grounding technique that has been known to help those who suffer from Anxiety to find a way to slow down the rushing thoughts, panic attacks, and racing heartbeat. I’ll share the video here.
Grounding became very useful to me (as someone who lives with Anxiety) to help myself get back onstage as a performer in the community theatre. After I had my first panic attack (while performing in a concert – will do a separate blog post for that as it’s worth the story), I was desperate to find ways to control my anxiety, so I sought out a therapist. I highly recommend anyone living with anxiety to speak to a professional, if you have the means. It has helped me in so many ways. If you do not have the means to speak to a therapist, please reach out to a friend or family member who can listen and provide encouragement. Being able to vocalize your thoughts and talk through them with someone is a helpful way to calm and chaos that your mind might be dragging you into.
Ways to use Grounding to manage your anxiety
My therapist taught me several methods to manage my panic, including meditation, grounding and journaling. The idea with grounding is to get your brain to focus on things you can sense around you in a moment where you feel yourself spiraling out of control:
- Name 5 things you can see.
- Name 4 things you can feel/touch.
- Name 3 things you can hear.
- Name 2 things you can smell.
- Name 1 thing you can taste.
If you don’t have the luxury of leaving the area or space you are in to a more calming environment (for example, leaving an office building or exiting a stage to go step barefoot onto the grass in your backyard), using the grounding technique will allow your brain to shift its focus from whatever it was that caused you the panic and anxiety to actual, tangible things that you can sense.
I have used grounding on numerous occasions, and for me, it has worked very well. Have you ever tried grounding, and has it worked for you?
