Grounding is a well-known technique used in the treatment of anxiety. It can be very useful to deal with panic or anxiety attacks. Even in television series like DOC they talk about it Reiki certification.
Even so, there are many people who still don’t know what it is. Therefore, in today’s article we are going to talk about what it is, how it is practiced and what benefits it has.
What is the grounding technique?
Grounding , in Spanish, can be translated as ” taking ground “, “connecting with the earth” or “landing” and the technique that we are going to explain today has a lot of that . In other words, it helps the person affected by anxiety to return to reality and be in the present. It is used to have control over mood and emotions and to reconnect with the world. Some people also relate it to mindfulness .
In addition, it is a very easy-to-use technique, ideal for those moments when we are overwhelmed by anxiety and negative emotions or when we are turning to obsessive or ruminative thoughts. In the following sections we will explain what benefits it has and how it is practiced.
When we have anxiety, most thoughts focus on the past or the future. In other words, we are not in the present and we do not have rational thoughts. Therefore, it is important to have techniques that help us reconnect with the present and the situation we are experiencing.
This technique can be very useful for the above. Of course, as long as it is combined with other techniques that aim to reduce anxiety.
How is the grounding technique practiced?
There are different ways to apply it. At the end of the day, it is a set of techniques that has the same purpose: to reconnect with the environment and the present. We will explain the most used variants to you.
Three Threes Exercise
What you must do to be able to practice it is close your eyes and listen to what sounds are around you. After listening for a while, what you should do is think about which sounds you hear best . Next, you must open your eyes and say the first three colors that you see most clearly. Finally, you must say out loud what three sensations your body is experiencing at that precise moment .
This variation is the short variation and is very easy to do and remember how to do it.
5,4, 3, 2, 1
It is also known as a mindfulness technique . The objective is the same as the previous technique, that is, to reconnect the person with the present and give them back control of the situation in those moments of greatest anxiety and excitement.
Now, the way to practice it is a little more complicated than the previous one, since it requires you to memorize a series of steps. The steps are the following:
- Think about what 5 things you can see right now . They can be objects that you have around you, such as: a keyboard, a window, a door, a computer, your mobile phone…
- Now think about what 4 things you can touch . The goal is for you to be able to feel the texture. For example, you can pay attention to the feel and texture of the shirt you are wearing.
- Then notice what 3 things you can hear. For example, the noise of a computer, the beep of a car, etc.
- Next analyze what 2 things you can smell. You can notice the cologne you’re wearing, the smell of your hair…
- Finally, after doing the above, think of 1 thing that you can taste. It could be a candy you have in your pocket or even thinking about how fresh your morning toothpaste left you.
Other techniques to practice grounding…
In addition to the previous two, which are perhaps the best known and recommended by psychologists to make contact with reality, there are also many others such as, for example: standing barefoot and feeling the ground, walking on different surfaces, breathing exercises , etc