As a child I was a big fan of comics and one of the comic strips I always looked forward to was called the Numskulls. It was based on the idea that there was a team of little beings who lived in the brain of a person and from their headquarters, each department operated different parts of the body.
Whilst not literally true, there are different parts of your brain that control what happens in your body.
Let’s look at what goes on in your brain when you experience stress by focusing on two areas of the brain, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the limbic system. Most of the time, these parts of the brain are working in harmony doing their respective tasks. Put simply, the PFC is the rational, decision making part of the brain that helps to regulate emotions, and the limbic system, amongst other jobs, acts a bit like an alarm.
Experiencing stress or a triggering event, can have a domino effect on your mind and body. Your heart may be pumping quickly, you’re feeling panicky, breathless, your thoughts are racing out of control. So what’s going on?
Put simply, under anxious or stressful conditions, the rational, self aware PFC can go ‘off line’ whilst the limbic part of your brain (the alarm system) has a tendency to take over; triggering your fight-or-flight response, flooding your body with stress hormones, raising your heart beat, making it difficult to rationalize or focus.
Grounding techniques work to help you to take back control by ‘switching on’ or re-engaging your prefrontal cortex. When your prefrontal cortex is activated – you’re back in control. Establishing grounding techniques that you feel comfortable with will give you a resource that you can draw on in the moment when you need it. Here are a few ideas…
Breathing Techniques
Controlling the breath is the most powerful tool in your toolbox. When we are stressed or triggered almost always our breath pattern is disrupted or constricted. As soon as we are not breathing properly, messages are sent to our brain that signal further stress and so our alarm system fires even further. An effective way to help calm and ease this is gently focusing on your breath, notice your breathing patterns and aim to take 10 deep and full breaths, letting out a sigh with the exhalation if that feels good for you.
Another breathing technique is 2-1 breath. This is where you exhale for twice the length of the inhalation. So after you have taken 10 deep, full breaths you can try inhaling to a count that feels comfortable for you, (usually between 3-6) and then exhale for twice the length. So if you inhale to the count of 4, then take a slow and steady exhalation all the way to the count of 8. If you are inhaling for 5, then exhale to 10 etc. Continuing to focus on slow and steady 2-1 breathing can help to calm and reset the nervous system within just a few minutes. Aim for at least 5/6 minutes, more if you can.
‘Drop the anchor’
When feeling stressed or if old trauma is triggered our thoughts can really speed up, we can even feel caught or stuck in our heads or beyond that we can feel very disconnected to our bodies, the present moment and our experience.
So it can be helpful to think about bringing our focus energetically in downwards motion, down into our bodies, down into our feet and down into the contact we have with the ground beneath us – literally grounding our minds and bodies to the earth or floor. Like ‘dropping the anchor’.
a) Shift your mental attention down into your body, then specifically into your legs and/ or feet.
b) Become curious to notice where you feel your physical body make contact with the ground or chair – whatever is beneath you.
c) Stay with the experience of your feet or legs making contact with the ground. Play around with different sensations, for example, move your feet, wiggle your toes, step from side to side, flex your ankles, point your toes, jump up and down, then stay still… all the time just noticing any physical sensations through this contact with the ground.
d) You might even like to imagine and visualise your feet growing roots deep down into the earth, much like a tree. Visualise roots from your feet growing and just like a tree, stabilising and strengthening the trunk and the rest of your body.
With time and practice this dropping the anchor can help you to feel more connected and calmer.
5-4-3-2-1 Technique
The 5-4-3-2-1- technique utilises each of the senses to help you to feel more connected, present and grounded.
Notice 5 things you can see. Be curious as to what is around you, however big or small, try to notice something less obvious, perhaps something you haven’t really taken note of before such as the way the light sits, or patterns or colours in surrounding objects.
Note 4 things you can feel. Take some time to fully connect with and be curious to different objects around you, perhaps clothing, fabrics, hard surfaces, soft surfaces. Notice the textures, the weight, the temperature and so on.
What are 3 things you can hear? Slow down and take your time to tune into sounds you may not usually notice like the sound of birds outside, the traffic in the distance, the ticking of a watch or clock…
Name 2 things you can smell. Really see if you can focus in on noticing any subtle smells. Keeping a pleasant or calming aromatherapy oil (like Lavender) with you can also be a good grounding tool.
Notice 1 thing you can taste. Again, having some tasty sweet or chocolate can be a helpful grounding tool. Tasting strong tastes as well as eating something with a stimulating crunch can help.
Identifying things in your physical world slows your heart rate and takes your focus off the intense feelings of anxiety.
The Rainbow
This simple grounding exercise is called ‘The Rainbow’ and is great for moments when you are feeling panic or anxiety and need a quick calm down grounding technique – just look around you and spot an object you are drawn to for each of the colours of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, purple and blue. Describe each object in turn, pausing to notice the shades, the textures, the feelings and body associations with each item.
Visualize turning down an emotional dial:
You may feel flooded by strong emotions. By visualizing an emotional dial and making the conscious choice to turn it down, you’re putting yourself in charge of your feelings.
Listen to your surroundings:
Simply taking a moment to be quiet and listen to your environment can bring you back to the present. If you’re inside, listen to the clock ticking. Listen to people chatting or breathing around you. If you’re outside, listen to leaves rustling in the wind. Listen to birds chirping, children playing, or dogs barking in the distance and remind yourself that you are in the here and now.
Recite something:
Have you memorized a famous poem? A scientific theory? An important speech? A noteworthy quote? Whatever you have in your head, speak it out loud or say the words mentally. Think about your mouth as you vocalize it or imagine the words appearing on a piece of paper as you go.
Listen to music:
Putting on your favourite song not only boosts your mood, but it also elicits emotions that bring you back down to earth. Focus hard on the lyrics and think about what they mean to you in this particular moment
Focus on an object:
Pick a small trinket you find interesting, whether it be a coin, a piece of jewellery, a polished rock, a pressed flower, or a figurine — and keep it with you at all times. Focus on this object when you’re feeling a panic attack coming on. Are there imperfections in the jewellery? How has the coin deteriorated over time? How does the polished rock look when it’s glinting in the light?
Clench your fists and release:
Focus all the negative and nervous energy to your hands. Clench them into fists, squeeze as hard as you can, and let go. Do this 10 times in a row and think about how your body feels as you release the tension. Feel the blood flow back into your fingers.
Rub your palms together:
This is another way of channelling energy to your hands. Rub them together as fast as you can and generate heat through friction, focusing on expelling anxious energy through that heat.
Stomp on the floor:
It might feel good to stomp around a little bit, thinking specifically about how it feels when your foot lands on the floor. Focus on the ground beneath you and the sensation it causes when it makes contact with your foot.
Designate a grounding chair:
Pick a cosy chair in a quiet space in your home. Sit in it and think about how it feels as you sit. How does the material feel on your skin? How does your body fit into it? Lean back in the chair and imagine all of the negative emotions spilling out of your feet and onto the floor and relax every muscle on the way down.
Do some vigorous exercise:
Feeling your heart pounding in your chest and the sweat forming on your body can bring you back from a place of fear. Do a form of exercise you enjoy, whether it be a light jog outdoors, a dance exercise at home, or a kick boxing session at the gym.
Stretch your body:
As you stretch, focus on the areas of the body that carry the weight of your anxiety. For most people, anxious tension is carried in the back, the shoulders, and the neck. Think about how your body feels and try implementing breathing exercises throughout.
Take a shower or bath:
Take your time in drawing yourself a bath or shower. Feel the water and how its temperature brings you back to reality. How does the warm or cool water feel on your muscles? What do the sounds of the water do to your mind?
Make a comforting, hot drink:
Hot chocolate is a cosy beverage that calms your body and mind. As you prepare it, think about the mug in your hand and the motions of stirring the drink. How do you feel as the liquid trickles down your throat and the warmth spreads through your body?
Smell something familiar:
Smells, especially familiar ones, are powerful sensations. These can help you come back to the present moment. Pick a candle, a lotion, a cologne, an essential oil, or a hot beverage to smell when you need to ground yourself.
Experiment, and find a technique that works for you. Add it to your tool kit so that when you begin to feel out of control you can quickly ground yourself once again.