With everything going on around the world including the protests and the pandemic, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stressed. Next time you feel anxious, you can engage in a simple practice to bring you back to the present moment. The technique is called grounding and it brings you to the here and now to help you focus on your surroundings by engaging your five senses. Here’s how to use the grounding technique.
Step 1: What Do You See?
Next time you feel overwhelmed, focus on what’s around you. Sight is the easiest sense to focus on so it’s a good place to start. Say what you see out loud or in your head or write it down. Stay attuned to colors, textures, and focal points like walls or trees.
Step 2: What Do You Feel?
Start by touching your wrist or arm and then identify how the parts of your body are feeling. Are your shoudlers relaxed, is your jaw clenched, are your muscles tensed?
Step 3: What Do You Hear?
Focus on birds chirping, the wind blowing, or the air conditioning to bring yourself back to the present moment. You can also try playing a calming song and identifying the different instruments in it.
Step 4: What Do You Smell or Taste?
Keeping a candle by your bed or eating your favorite snack when you’re feeling stressed can help you get out of an anxious state. If you’re having trouble sleeping, keep some essential oils in your bedroom that you can sniff to relieve stress.
Step 5: Breathe!
Pay attention to your inhales and exhales and notice the sounds and smells around you.
