Beginner’s Guide to Grounding
Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez
When life feels overwhelming—whether from stress, anxiety, or trauma—it’s easy to feel disconnected from yourself and your surroundings. That’s where grounding comes in. Specifically, mental and sensory grounding techniques can help bring your mind and body back to the present moment and restore a sense of calm and control.
What Is Mental Grounding?
Mental grounding uses your thoughts and focus to anchor you in the present. It helps quiet anxious thoughts, shift attention away from distressing memories, and re-engage the thinking part of your brain.
Some simple mental grounding techniques include:
Counting backward from 100
Naming all the states or countries you can think of
Describing your environment in detail (e.g., “The walls are cream. There’s a window to my left. I hear a fan humming.”)
Repeating a comforting phrase or prayer
These tasks use your mind to override anxious patterns and bring you back to now.
What Is Sensory Grounding?
Sensory grounding uses your five senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—to anchor your awareness in your body and your environment. It's especially helpful when emotions feel too big or when you feel disconnected (dissociation).
Examples of sensory grounding include:
Touch: Hold an ice cube, run your fingers over textured fabric, or squeeze a stress ball.
Sound: Listen closely to calming music, nature sounds, or name every sound you hear right now.
Sight: Focus on something in your environment—notice its color, shape, and detail.
Smell: Smell essential oils, a candle, or even your favorite lotion.
Taste: Eat something with a strong flavor (like a mint) and pay close attention to the taste.
5-4-3-2-1 Method:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
This technique gently refocuses your mind and helps regulate your nervous system.
When and Why to Use Grounding
Mental and sensory grounding are particularly helpful for:
Managing anxiety or panic attacks
Coping with trauma-related flashbacks
Reducing overwhelm in high-stress situations
Breaking out of spiraling thoughts or dissociation
According to the National Center for PTSD, grounding helps shift your focus away from distress and connects you back to your physical surroundings and body—key steps in emotional regulation and trauma recovery (NCPTSD, 2020).
Pairing Grounding with Therapy
Grounding isn’t a substitute for therapy—but it’s a fantastic tool to use between sessions. Many therapists incorporate grounding exercises into treatment, especially for clients dealing with trauma, anxiety, or high emotional sensitivity.
If you’re working with a counselor, ask about which grounding techniques might be most effective for you.
Sources:
National Center for PTSD. (2020). Grounding Techniques
American Psychological Association. (2021). Understanding anxiety and regulation strategies
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2023). Coping techniques and trauma recovery. https://www.samhsa.gov