GROUNDING TECHNIQUES

Grounding techniques help to shift the focus away from distressing voices to other sensory information, whether that is inside or outside your body. They are things you can do to bring yourself into contact with the present moment and feel ‘grounded’ in the world.

Examples you might like to try:

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can smell, 2 things you can feel, and one thing you can taste.
Take ten slow deep breaths. Focus your attention fully on each breath, on the way in and on the way out. Say the numbers of breaths to yourself each time you exhale.
Splash some water on your face. Notice how it feels. Notice how the towel feels as you dry.
Go for a walk and really concentrate on the way your feel feels on the ground.

I find being around my dogs really helpful as dogs seem to have an understanding humans don’t and I can say what I want to them they tend to always listen and agree.

Johannes*

I keep horses. I care and look after them. They need me. I need them. Very sensitive creatures. I’m very calm round them.

Neil*

Find out more

Read

The Living Well website. Living Well is an Australian organization dedicated to the provision of a supportive, accessible and respectful service for men who have experienced child sexual abuse. Their website includes a comprehensive list of grounding strategies that are not just useful for those who have experienced trauma, but for anyone struggling with anxiety or other difficult experiences.

Read this excerpt from Elisabeth Svanholmer (2016). Feeling the ground beneath my feet. Living life gently.

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Find your own way of grounding yourself

An excerpt from Elisabeth Svanholmer’s ‘Feeling the ground beneath my feet'

When I get lost in fears, thoughts, fantasies, insecurities, expectations, excitement and busynes, my body is always there to bring me back to the reality of here and now. My breath is always here, my heart beat is always here and if I contract the muscles around my core I can feel I am here.

The simplest way to ground myself is just to gently tense and release my muscles – in my leg, hand, stomach or feet – to the rythm of my breath. Breathing out as I tense and breathing in I let go and relax.

This works for me.

The amazing thing about body work is that you can find your own way of grounding yourself, the possibilities are endless. But it might take some dedication and patience to find what works for you.