Grounding

In our last post the 3-minute breathing exercise helped us focus on the present moment it’s something we use when we do Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Online. Building on that exercise we’re going to work on how we can not only be in the present moment, but also learn to ground ourselves when we start to feel overwhelmed with the uncertainties of life. This is a skill we work a lot on in dialectical behavior therapy (dbt).

While practicing mindfulness the term, 'grounding’ refers to the ability to return to the present moment with sustained attention (Nortje, 2021). Through this grounding technique you will focus yourself on your surroundings. Begin by using your five senses to ground you to the environment, noticing light, color, sounds, smells, and tastes. Review the list in the image below and name 5 things that you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things that you hear, 2 things that you smell, and 1 that you taste.

For help with this exercise, you can follow along with this grounding meditation.

How was your anxiety before and after you tried the grounding exercise?

Did the exercise help to keep you in the present moment?

The scale below will help to gauge how you felt before participating in this exercise.

Scale: With 1 meaning you feel no anxiety, and 5 being you feel very anxious.

Then try checking in again after the exercise to see if you found it helpful. In a journal afterward note, what feelings came up and any intruding thoughts you may have had. Or discuss them with our virtual therapist if you want to continue with learning mindfulness practices, mbct, or mindful self compassion as she is trained in all of these.

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