Summary

This part of our “Anxiety” series is a struggle for me, so maybe I am writing to myself? When we slow things down and give pause… we create space for calm. That calm relieves us of that constant push for progress. I would say I am a sufferer of this issue.

Day after day I look at the output and critique myself as not producing my anticipated result. Just last night, I stayed up until 1:30 am repairing 2 websites for clients. Taking the moment to consciously “ground” is a big thing I intend to give more conscious thought to.

Grounding is a technique to help relieve stress and anxiety. When something is grounded in a literal sense, it is connected to the ground. It’s stationary. As an anxiety treatment, grounding means connecting to the present moment. All your energy focuses on your physical environment and how you sense it right now.

This treats anxiety because it shifts your thoughts away from worry. That’s what anxiety is: worrying, stressing out, and obsessing over a situation, real or imagined. Grounding brings you back to your current moment.

Here are a few sensory grounding techniques you can use in various situations for instant anxiety relief.

Give Your Hands a Bath

You can calm your mind and refocus your attention by placing your hands under running water. If you can control the water temperature, switch between warm and cold sensations every 30 seconds or so.

Feel the water on your hands and engage with what’s happening. Rub your hands together. What does the sensation feel like? Go from cold to warm and back to cold. Imagine your anxiety washing away as the water flows over your hands and skin.

Consciously Listen

The world we live in is busy, hectic, and noisy. Without realizing it, your mind and nervous system block out most of what’s happening around you. When you subconsciously decide that what you’re hearing isn’t important or can be a distraction, you ignore it.

This grounding technique for treating anxiety has you consciously listen. Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? Listen deeply and intensely. What different sounds do you hear? Identify each one and fully experience them.

What Do You See?

Your visual environment can be crowded. The idea here is to focus on one specific object. It should be close to you if possible. What does it look like? What are its colors? Is it moving or stationary? Describe to your mind every detail of what you see.

These are three simple but effective ways to treat anxiety. You can use them as soon as you start feeling anxious. They shift your focus from what’s causing your anxiety to what you consciously engage with through your senses. Do this with any of your five senses when your anxiety level threatens to get out of control.