7 Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

Table of Content

• What is Anxiety?

• What are grounding techniques?

• When to use grounding techniques?

• 7 grounding techniques for Anxiety

• When to see a doctor?

• FAQ on 7 Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

Introduction 

Although it is a common and normal feeling, anxiety can also result in physical side effects such as shaking and excessive sweating. Though they might interfere with daily life, anxiety disorders frequently get better with therapy.

You understand how it feels to have an anxiety attack when the physical signs begin to appear. Your breath quickens, body trembles and the mouth becomes dry. You begin to perspire heavily. Your mind becomes consumed with panic, which defies reason and reality. What if we told you that there are techniques to halt anxiety attacks in their tracks and stop them from engulfing you? Grounding techniques are what they are known as.

Here in this article, we will tell you about 7 grounding techniques that will help you if you're having an anxiety attack.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is the most common group of mental health problems faced by the world today. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”

Although they are not the same thing, anxiety and fear are frequently used as synonyms. Fear is viewed as an appropriate, in-the-moment, and fleeting response to a clearly discernible and precise threat, whereas anxiety is a future-oriented, long-acting response largely centered on a diffuse threat.

A complex reaction to actual or imagined threats is anxiety. Changes in the body, mind, and behavior may be involved.

The fight-or-flight response, which is triggered by real or imagined danger, is a hormonal and chemical messenger that rushes into the brain and signals the brain to release adrenaline. This reaction may occur for some people in challenging social situations or when significant events or decisions are taking place.

It is occasionally possible for anxiety symptoms to last longer or be more intense than the stressor or trigger that initially caused it. Moreover, physical symptoms like nausea and elevated blood pressure could appear. Via these reactions, anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder. When anxiety becomes a problem, it can make it difficult to go about regular tasks.

What are grounding techniques?

Techniques known as "grounding exercises" can assist a person in controlling painful memories or intense emotions and can help them in refocusing on the here and now in order to block out anxious thoughts.To help you avoid a range of potential emotions and thoughts, grounding techniques include tools like visualization and the senses of sight, hearing, and scent.

Your thoughts and bodily reactions may become controlled by your emotions during a panic attack or traumatic flashback.The goal of grounding techniques is to enable a person to remove themselves from unfavorable thoughts or flashbacks. By diverting a person's attention with the help of their five senses, techniques like these might lessen the intensity of their emotions or trauma.

Detaching from the past can be accomplished by concentrating on what one sees in the present environment. Examples include practicing deep breathing and concentrating on the five senses.

When to use grounding techniques?

According to experts, grounding practices can help those who are having panic attacks or flashbacks to a traumatic event. These methods might be employed by behavioral health treatment providers to assist in calming a person down.

The people suffering from the following conditions can benefit most from grounding practices :

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Dissociation

• Panic attacks

• Anxiety 

• Depression

7 grounding techniques for Anxiety

1. The 5-4-3-2-1 techniques 

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is the most popular grounding technique. It utilizes all of your senses to return you to the present. This technique utilizes all your 5 sense organs. In this technique, you have to list the following things: 

• Observe 5 things you can see in your surroundings 

• Name 4 things you can touch in your immediate environment 

• List 3 things you can hear around you

• Name 2 things you can smell around you

• Search for 1 thing you can taste

Some people might prefer using grounding techniques outside where there is more to see, hear, touch, and smell. The ability to move around is also greater than it is indoors. Your pulse rate will slow and your attention will be diverted from the strong feelings of worry when you can name items in your actual environment.

2. Breathing techniques 

A helpful technique for coming back to the present is to concentrate on your breathing. You can also try deep breathing technique by deliberately taking in air via the nose and expelling it through the mouth.

By keeping your hands on your abdomen and observing how it rises and falls in time with the breath, you can improve the focus of these breathing exercises.

Some individuals might need a combination of grounding techniques to go back to the present, especially if their emotions and ideas are quite strong.

3. Exercise

You can recover from a state of fear by sensing your heart racing and seeing sweat accumulating on your body. Exercise in a way that you find enjoyable, whether it be a quick jog outside, a dance workout at home, or a kickboxing class at the gym.

You can try exercises like jumping jacks, cycling, walking and stretching. Pay close attention to how your body feels during each movement, as well as whenever your hands or feet make contact with the ground or are in motion. This would help distract your mind from the problem.

4. Listen to your surroundings or soothing music

You can refocus by spending a few minutes to remain silent and pay attention to your surroundings. Listen to the clock's ticking noise if you're inside. Pay attention to the chit-chat and respiration of those nearby. 

Listen to the leaves rustling in the wind if you're outside. Remind yourself that you are in the present now by listening to distant sounds like children playing, dogs barking, or birds tweeting. 

Infact, not just birds chirping and dogs barking in your surroundings, you can also listen to soothing music to distract your mind from anxiety. It is seen, music can help your mind refreshen giving you a new outlook to life.

5. Watch a movie or TV show or movie

Television can take you to another time and place if you enjoy watching it, letting you temporarily step into the shoes of another person. You can even lose sight of the initial source of your anxiety after one or two episodes. The same applies for movies. So, if you are anxious and don't know how to get rid of the feeling, try watching something that will cheer you up.

6. Drink something hot and comforting

Warm beverages like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate can help to relax your body and mind. Consider the mug in your hand as it cools as you make it, and imagine stirring the beverage. How are you feeling as the liquid slides down your throat and the heat permeates your entire body? You can even try eating fruits and other healthy things that you like to relieve your stress and anxiety. 

7. Rub your palms together 

This is an additional method of directing energy towards your hands. Rub them together as quickly as you can to create heat from friction. Concentrate on using that heat to release anxious energy.

When to see a doctor?

Individuals who have experienced trauma from the past could need medical care. While grounding techniques can be helpful in the here and now, they won't cure your anxiety or stop your panic episodes. Grounding techniques just keep you from dissociating and losing yourself in your fear. Some people could need medicine for their condition. This is due to the impact that traumatic memories can have on a person's relationships and daily activities.

Self-diagnosis and self-treatment of mental health disorders should be discouraged. A person should seek medical attention for a diagnosis if they believe they have a mental health disorder.

See a mental health practitioner as soon as you can if you frequently experience anxiety attacks or dissociation. You can get over these episodes with the assistance of a specialist through therapy and medicines. While established therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy may be more effective for some patients, grounding strategies may be for others.

Take-Home Points

People who suffer from anxiety or PTSD may benefit from grounding techniques. During a panic episode or traumatic flashback, the goal of grounding techniques is to bring the person back to reality. A person can start to feel more at ease by concentrating on their immediate surroundings, which can help them become more conscious of their safe reality.

Although grounding procedures may be effective for some patients, there is no set protocol for their application among medical professionals.

If a person suspects they have a mental health issue, they should see a doctor. A patient and a doctor can create a successful treatment strategy.

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6130742/

• https://ibpf.org/articles/9-tips-to-help-you-get-through-a-panic-attack/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9877284/