As feeling overwhelmed and stressed in daily life has come to be the norm for millions of Americans, the practice of grounding to manage anxiety and stress has been gaining popularity as of late. For those unfamiliar with the concept, grounding is the practice of redirecting your focus away from intrusive worry and anxiety triggers through both physical and mental exercises. While the practice of mental and physical grounding to regulate the nervous system and manage anxiety has been around for decades, a type of physical grounding called “Earthing” has been experiencing amplified popularity on social media lately among mental health practitioners and wellness influencers alike as a way to combat anxiety. 

Earthing is a type of physical grounding that involves going barefoot into a grassy natural space and physically grounding down through your feet into the bare earth, focusing on the physical sensations of the experience. While this is an excellent physical grounding exercise, it is not always an accessible one for those needing to manage overwhelming anxiety symptoms on the fly at the workplace or somewhere they can’t access nature, or for those with sensory issues and other mental health diagnoses that make it difficult to be barefoot or in an uncontrolled environment. 

There are both mental and physical grounding exercises that can be done in daily practice to help manage and reduce anxiety symptoms in daily life. Here are five easy-to-do grounding exercises that can reduce anxiety when in indoor spaces places such as work, home or even in a (safely parked) car.

Five Easy Grounding Exercises

Grounding Chair

Find a seat in a comfortable chair in which your feet firmly touch the ground. Place your arms and hands at your side or in a resting position that feels comfortable to you. Next, close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing, drawing in each breath slowly for the count of four and exhaling for a count of four. Begin to notice how your body feels while sitting in the chair. Notice the sensation of the chair against your back, how your head feels between your shoulders and the sensation of your arms against the chair or in your lap. Imagine that with each deep inhale you are filling your body with positive light energy and expelling stale, negative energy with each exhale. You may envision this positive light energy as a color like soft pink, light blue, or pale yellow.   

Next, bring your focus to your abdomen, backside, legs, and down to your feet. Notice the sensation of the chair against the back of your body. Firmly push your feet into the ground and begin to envision your feet as growing roots into the ground.  Envision the tension in your body draining down from your head to your shoulders and arms and out through your rooted feet into the ground. You may repeat this process for several minutes with the help of a phone timer or for as long as time permits.

Four-minute Box Breathing

A highly effective physical and mental grounding exercise that combines both the instant calming power of breathwork with the powerful awareness of mindfulness. Begin in a comfortable seated position. Next, draw in a long inhale through your nostrils for a count of four, then hold the breath for a count of four, and lastly, exhale through your mouth for a count of four. Do this at least four times in a row for however long it takes for you to begin feeling less anxious. Add a 4-minute timer and do box breathing for the duration of the timer for a full mental and physical reset using just the power of oxygen and your mind! 

Grounding Object

This mindful exercise requires that you bring your focus to a comforting object and away from anxiety triggers. First, identify a comforting object around your home like a marble, an energy crystal, a soft blanket or a small bean bag. Next, hold the comforting object in your hand and bring your focus to how it looks and feels. Feel the weight of the object in your hand. Notice the object’s shape, what color(s) it is, notice any textures, whether it is translucent or opaque, whether it feels heavy or light. Spend several moments just noticing all things about the object and staying present with it.  

A small object tends to work best for this exercise since its easier to carry in your pocket or purse and have ready when experiencing emotional distress. 

Five Senses Grounding

This exercise invites you to ground down through all five senses. Like the previous exercises, you may begin in a seated and comfortable position. Next, close your eyes and begin drawing in your breath for a count of four and then releasing for a count of four. Take 4 deep breaths, drawing in through your nose and exhaling out through your mouth. Now, open your eyes and take a look around the room, and begin to notice/state out loud: 

5 things that you can see (ex./ Items you see around the room or the view outside) 

4 things you can feel (ex./ the texture of the chair, the tabletop or any nearby surface) 

3 things you can hear (ex./ the hum of the fan, birds outside, etc.) 

2 things you can smell (ex./  

1 thing you can taste (ex./ take a sip of water or your favorite smoothie) 

 Grounding to a Safe Place

This is a mental grounding exercise that can be done anytime you are able to find stillness. Grounding to a safe place encourages you to identify a happy place or safe place in your mind and begin to envision yourself there. Start this exercise in the usual manner by finding a safe and comfortable seat in which you can sit with your eyes closed. Once you’ve found stillness with your eyes closed, begin to imagine your safe and happy place. Perhaps it is a place you have traveled to before or a place of happy memories like a beloved family member’s home, or maybe it is a place that you invent for yourself in your mind. Once you’ve identified your safe and happy place, flesh out the vision by picturing the sights, sounds, locations, and sensations of your special place. Allow yourself to just breathe and rest within this safe mental retreat for several minutes. Perhaps incorporate a 3–5-minute timer to fully relax within your safe space. Practice as many times per day as needed. 

Grounding Tips  

Practice and consistency are key to making grounding an effective and vital coping tool for anxiety in daily life. The more you can practice grounding (even when not so stressed), the easier it will be for you to access grounding tools when experiencing heightened distress. It is also important to have patience with yourself through the process and to resist the urge to judge yourself for any missteps or for the need to ground down in the first place. Our difficult emotions are a part of ourselves and learning to manage them is a lifelong process that takes patience, practice, and support. Speaking of support, if you find it difficult to manage your anxiety and difficult emotions through grounding on your own, please show yourself compassion and reach out to a licensed mental health professional to help guide and support you through your self-actualization journey! 

 

In the realm of mental health, stress often acts as a formidable adversary, exacerbating symptoms and hindering recovery. For individuals grappling with mental health issues, managing stress becomes a crucial aspect of their journey toward healing and well-being. Fortunately, there are many different strategies and techniques that therapists and clients can explore to alleviate stress and cultivate resilience. In this piece, we delve into some effective approaches to help clients reduce stress and enhance their mental well-being. 

Effective Strategies to Reduce Stress

Mindfulness and Meditation:

At the forefront of stress reduction techniques lies mindfulness and meditation. These practices encourage individuals to anchor themselves in the present moment, fostering a sense of calm and inner peace. By cultivating awareness of thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment, clients can gradually learn to navigate stressors with greater composure. Therapists can guide clients through mindfulness exercises, such as focused breathing or body scans, to help them develop these invaluable skills. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):  

CBT offers a structured and evidence-based approach to stress management by examining the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Through CBT interventions, clients can identify and challenge maladaptive thought patterns that contribute to stress and anxiety. By replacing negative cognitions with more balanced and rational alternatives, clients can experience a profound shift in their perception of stressors, empowering them to respond more effectively. 

Stress Reduction Techniques:  

Encouraging clients to incorporate stress reduction techniques into their daily routine can yield significant benefits. These techniques may include progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery, among others. By engaging in regular practice, clients can cultivate a greater sense of relaxation and resilience, thereby mitigating the impact of stress on their mental health. 

Lifestyle Modifications:  

Exploring lifestyle modifications can also play a pivotal role in stress management. Encouraging clients to prioritize self-care activities, such as adequate sleep, regular exercise, and healthy nutrition, can bolster their physical and emotional well-being. Additionally, fostering meaningful social connections and engaging in enjoyable hobbies can provide much-needed support and solace during times of stress. 

Support Groups and Peer Networks: 

Connecting clients with support groups or peer networks can offer a sense of validation, understanding, and unity. Interacting with individuals who share similar experiences can diminish feelings of isolation and provide invaluable emotional support. Therapists can facilitate access to these resources and encourage clients to actively engage with their peers as they navigate their mental health journey. 

Relaxation Techniques:  

Incorporating relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization, can help clients alleviate physiological symptoms of stress and induce a state of calmness. Teaching clients these techniques equips them with practical tools to manage stress in real time, empowering them to regain a sense of control over their emotions and physical sensations. 

Time Management and Boundaries:  

Helping clients develop effective time management skills and establish healthy boundaries can also contribute to stress reduction. By prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and learning to assertively communicate their needs, clients can minimize feelings of overwhelm and cultivate a greater sense of balance in their lives. 

Expressive Therapies:  

Engaging in expressive therapies, such as art therapy, music therapy, or dance movement therapy, can provide clients with alternative avenues for self-expression and stress relief. These modalities offer creative outlets for processing emotions, reducing tension, and fostering self-discovery in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. 

In conclusion, reducing stress for clients dealing with mental health issues requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the interconnected facets of their well-being. By incorporating mindfulness practices, cognitive restructuring, stress reduction techniques, lifestyle modifications, social support, relaxation strategies, time management skills, and expressive therapies into treatment plans, therapists can empower clients to effectively manage stress and enhance their overall quality of life. Ultimately, by collaboratively exploring these strategies, therapists and clients can work towards fostering resilience, promoting healing, and cultivating a sense of empowerment in the face of adversity. 

Written By:  

Janice D’souza, M.S.W., R.S.W. 

Insightful Minds Therapy Inc. 

If you, or someone you know is struggling with their mental health and well-being, feel free to reach out to Janice D’souza, for individual therapy, at below contact information: 

Email: j6dsouza@gmail.com 

Phone: 416-316-7686 

Stress is a normal, functional part of life; it serves many purposes. The proverbial “tiger in the room” sort of stress tells us when things need to change. It may also inform us when we need to take a break. But if stress is not managed properly over time, it can cause lasting damage to our bodies and minds.

When most of us consider stress, we think of it as a negative force in our lives—one to be avoided at all costs and managed quickly when it appears. As you might imagine, avoidance is not often the best tool for becoming more adept at managing stress when it does inevitably occur. This is where the subtle differences between stress management and stress reduction begin to show.

The Difference Between Stress Management and Reduction

Stress management is the set of skills we use to cope with and move through the process of experiencing stress. Stress reduction, on the other hand, is what we do with the rest of our time. I like to think of stress reduction as how we mold our environment and adapt to make ourselves less vulnerable to life’s everyday stressors.

From this perspective, it is easier to see that we must cultivate a daily practice that minimizes the impact of stress to become better at handling it. Instead of waiting for stress to occur and tackling each stressor as it pops up, try using your downtime, or low-stress time, to reflect on what causes you stress. Looking for ways to protect yourself from future stress may prove more productive.

Both in my personal life and in the experiences my clients relay to me, I have found stress reduction often involves the same set of coping skills that are used to manage our stress response. The main difference is that to reduce stress, we must practice these skills when we are not actually stressed out.

Using Reflection to Manage Stress

The next time you find yourself working through a stressful moment, take time afterwards to consider what helped you. Was it deep, purposeful breathing, taking a walk, writing, talking to a friend, or petting your dog? Was it practicing radical acceptance to allow the stressful moment to pass, or was it setting a timeline to accomplish the task that was causing stress in the first place?

The next time you find yourself working through a stressful moment, take time afterwards to consider what helped you.

Once we build up a network of skills we know to be impactful, we can start to practice them in times of little or no stress. This creates a new pattern for reacting to stress. You are still reaping the benefits of the stress management exercises—lowered blood pressure, clearer state of mind, heightened connection to self and others—while not having to combat your stress hormones. Instead of starting at the top of a mountain and fighting your way back to its base, you are building up your stress tolerance by starting at base and consistently practicing your skills.

Climbing the Mountain: Moving Toward Stress Reduction

We cannot lower our overall sensitivity to stress by only practicing skills to reduce it in times of stress. So how can we go from stress management to stress reduction? It may be worthwhile to examine your environment and daily habits. How are you making time to practice your coping skills when there is nothing to cope with? Are you working with what you already know about yourself, or are you constantly trying new coping skills without reflecting on how they serve you? By shifting the way we think about coping skills from something only used in times of distress to something we can use when at our best, we cultivate an environment where stress reduction is part of daily living.

If you are struggling to know how you can start cultivating an environment that makes you less susceptible to stress, consider reaching out to a therapist in your area. With expert guidance, you can work towards building a more effective stress management routine and make your overall environment less stressful.