Grounding

When it comes to anxiety, I’ve found that the best way to overcome situations is by practicing grounding techniques.

Grounding is being present in your body and connected with the earth, allowing you to feel centered and balanced no matter what’s going on around you. I remember as a child I would practice this without even realizing: I would kick off my socks/shoes and dig my toes into the patch of ground closest to my house. Feeling the dirt beneath my feet always made me feel calm. From time to time I still do this, but when it comes to Canadian Winters, I need to find other techniques

1) Involve your senses: make a cup of your favorite tea, wear your grandmother’s sweater or, use essential oils. Being lost in nostalgia through your senses will calm you down and bring you back to the present

2) Self Soothe: Draw yourself a bubble bath/take a hot shower, light some candles around the place/put on the fireplace channel or, listen to some spa music. Try to set your atmosphere into a calming zone. Don’t worry if this is not your scene if you’d rather calm down by listening to metal, GO FOR IT.

3) Observe: Aside from the anxiety-ridden thoughts that are running through your head, what else is happening around you? Sometimes when I’m driving, I can get a little anxious. When I do, I try to give as much detail towards other objects surrounding me as a distraction: “The car in front of me is a Blue Sedan with the license plate number XXX-XXX its bumper has a slight ding on the right-hand side most likely from exiting a parking garage.” Observing others and objects around you brings you back into the present and is a great trick when you’re on the road

4) Breathing: I cannot stress this exercise enough as most people with anxiety can sometimes forget how to breathe. I posted a great video to follow. However, if you need a quick tip use 4-7-8: Inhale to 4, hold to 7, exhale to 8.

5) Distraction: This tip is excellent not only for oneself but for others who want to help with family/friends when they experience an anxiety attack. This trick is called 5-4-3-2-1, and once you get the ball rolling you’ll notice that by the end you won’t feel as anxious anymore:

List 5 things that you can see
List 4 things that you can touch
List 3 things that you can hear
List 2 things that you can smell
List 1 emotion that you feel