We all experience stress, anxiety and overwhelm at various points in our lives. Although not all stress is bad for you, in fact, some is good to help trigger us into taking action, prolonged stress and anxiety can have a significant effect on our physical and mental wellbeing.
Stress triggers our bodies to produce adrenaline and cortisol, the “flight or fight” hormones, overstimulating our nervous system, causing an increase in our heart rate and generating feelings of fear and anger. Grounding helps soothe our fractious nervous system so we can return to the present moment and are able to function more effectively.
So how can we become grounded?
Breathe
It sounds obvious when I say we need to breathe, but using deep breathing techniques help to soothe you, reduce stress and alleviate depression and negative thinking.
Breathing is an automatic thing we do, we don’t think about it, so when we concentrate on our breathing we are able to affect the length and quality of our breath.
A technique I use when I feel uptight or anxious, and feel like I can’t breathe very well.
It’s called box breathing and it is conducted using a 4×4 count.
- To perform this type of breathing, sit or stand upright.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth, getting all of the oxygen out of your lungs.
- Inhale as you slowly count to four in your head. Fill your lungs without straining.
- Hold your breath whilst slowly counting to four.
- Exhale and release your breath, slowly counting to four.
- Hold your breath out at the end of the exhale for the count of four.
- Repeat this cycle 5 – 10 times until you feel calm, relaxed and in control of your feelings.
5,4,3,2,1
This exercise involves you using all of your senses to bring attention to your body, helping you to feel grounded or centred with your body.
Start with saying 5 things you can see out loud. It might be objects in a room, out on a walk, or describing an object in as much detail as possible (like a flower).
Next, say out loud 4 things you can feel. Notice things like the feeling of the chair you are sitting on, the way your feet touch the floor, your hands on your knees etc. Or pick up an object and see if you can notice 4 things about the way it feels.
Now say out loud 3 things you can hear. This can be objects inside our outside of the room you are in.
Now say out loud 2 things you can smell. This can be your own clothing, your dog, smells from outside, can you smell when it is about to rain?
Now say 1 thing out loud that you can taste. It might be the water you are drinking or the food you are eating. Whatever it is, fully immerse yourself in that sensation so you properly taste it.
Notice how you feel when you have done this exercise. Bring your awareness back to where you are and appreciate being back in the present.
Mind games
These are particularly good for calming your mind. Some people find doing something like a puzzle, or knitting or similar activities, relaxing, as they are using their brains to concentrate on something away from everyday activities. When I get the chance, I like to play chess, preferably with an actual opponent, but sometimes I have to resort to online games to find someone to play against.
One of my favourite games to do is to walk around a room in my house, mentally! That’s right, not actually walking around it, but closing my eyes and “walking” around the room, remembering where everything is, picturing everything in the room. You’d be surprised how much you may remember, but also how much you may miss!
Try one, try all, or even find your own. Whichever you do, I hope you find some more balance in your day.
Karen Raistrick has been in the business of well-being for over 6 years and has a lot of experience in managing stress and adapting to change.