177 Ways to Ground Yourself Now
Orlando Therapist Providing Grounding Techniques
Are you feeling geared up and anxious? You’re having a hard time focusing because anxiety has taken you on a rollercoaster ride. If you’re ready to get your feet back on the ground, this blog post will help you do just that.
As an Orlando therapist specializing in anxiety and trauma, I work with many folks that have high anxiety. We work together to create an individualized toolkit to help them feel settled quickly.
I have put together this list of 177 grounding techniques of ways you can ground yourself now. If 177 techniques sounds a bit overwhelming, I have recently added a new blog post with 51 of my favorite grounding techniques, check out that blog post here.
When your anxiety is mounting, or when you are experiencing an anxiety attack, try these methods to help ground yourself. These are quick, easy, short activities that will help reduce your anxiety so you can feel calmed and settled.
As an Orlando Anxiety Therapist, I present to you….
177 Grounding Techniques
Turn off your phone
Give yourself a manicure
Give yourself a pedicure
Give yourself a facial
Paint your nails
Do your makeup
Do your hair
Take your make up off
Take a fancy bath
Brush your teeth
Make a natural face mask with fresh ingredients from the fridge (egg, yogurt, fruit, etc)
Buy flowers for yourself
Light candles
Cocoon yourself in a blanket
Snuggle up with a super soft robe (or blanket)
Make hot chocolate
Make a smoothie
Make a tea
Drink cold water
Drink a carbonated beverage
Cook a healthy meal
Cook a comfort meal
Bake cookies
Pray
Read a book
Read a magazine
Read a blog series
Paint
Color
Visit a new coffee shop
Visit a new bookstore
Play calming apps or games on your phone or tablet
Do a Sudoko puzzle
Do a word search
Play with a favorite childhood toy
Play a video game
Play a computer game
Play an instrument
Play a sport
Play with modeling clay or Play-Doh
Play with your little brother/sister/niece/nephew
Build a pillow fort
Create or build something
Put a puzzle together
Try to say ridiculous tongue-twisters
Go down the alphabet and list girls’ names for each letter. Then boys’ names. Then unisex, silly pet’s names
Try counting by 3’s or 7’s
Go for a long walk (with or without a friend)
Go for a hike or spend time in nature
Go for a nice long drive
Go for a walk in a garden
Ride a bicycle
Try to do handstands
Try to do 5 cartwheels
Yoga
New advanced Yoga pose
Dance
Stretch
Meditate
Do Tai Chi
Repeat a calming mantra to yourself
Go swimming
Do a plank
Do a wall sit
Do jumping jacks
Do sit-ups
Do push-ups
Lift weights
Change your scenery
Plant some flowers or pull some weeds
Clean up trash at your local park
Clean your shoes
Clean your car
Clean your room
Clean your closet
Clean your basement
Clean your garage
Vacuum a room
Do the dishes
Fold laundry
Organize the kitchen
Organize a desk drawer
Organize your clothes
Create outfits for the week
Rearrange furniture
Redecorate a room
Organize and replace your crystals
Sort through your photos
Edit your photos on your phone
Change all the notification sounds on your phone
Change your phone’s background picture
Text or call an old friend
Call up a friend or safe person to talk to
Visit a friend at their house
Hug a friend or family member
Smile at five people
Help someone with errands
Perform a random act of kindness
Write yourself an “I love you because...” letter
Write a letter to someone that you may never send
Make a list of goals for the week/month/year/5 years
Make a list of blessings in your life
List or write down your feelings in the moment
Look up recipes, create a “menu” of foods to cook
Make a to-do list
Journal
Write down your dreams
Look up dream meanings
Make a visual list of home projects to do
Make home projects reusing items around the house
Create a scrapbook
Create a mood board
Create a visual “wish list”
Make a visual board of things you love
Sew your old clothes into new projects
Complete something you’ve been putting off
Look up new words and use them
Teach your pet a new trick
Hyper-focus on something physical like a rock, hand, etc.
Sit in a garden and focus on the smells
Look at something pretty like art
Open your eyes and concentrate on the shapes in the sky
Notice every leaf and branch, or brick
Feel the rays of the sun peeking through the trees
Feel the cold wind cooling your skin
Press your feet heavy on the floor
Chew mint or cinnamon gum and notice the intense flavor and powerful scent
Suck on mints or sour candies
Let chocolate melt in your mouth
Listen to the small sounds around you
Name 5 things you can see
Name 4 things you hear
Name 3 things you can smell
Touch a variety of textures and fabrics
Name 5 things you can see that are blue
Spot 5 circles you can see in the room
Find all the diamond-shaped items you can see
Find 3 things that are orange
Remind yourself of the date/year
Remind yourself of your name, how old you are, where you are, and why you’re there
Take several deep deep breaths
Look at your hands and feet
Dig your feet into dirt and wiggle your toes
Jump up and down or bounce on the balls of your feet
Splash your face with cold water
Run your hands under cold water
Put on hand lotions or antibacterial gels that have a fragrance
Trace all the fabrics and seams of furniture or clothing articles within reach
Notice colors you see when you close your eyes
Notice changes in the colors you see when you close your eyes the longer your eyes stay closed
Wiggle your toes and feel the muscles in your feet
Look out a window and notice all the details
Look up at the sky and notice all the details
Close your eyes and go to your safe place
Search on-line for new songs
Search on-line for new artists
Watch an old happy movie
Memorize a poem
Memorize a play
Memorize a song
Listen to music with headphones on and eyes closed
Make a play-list of your favorite songs
Hum and feel the vibration extending through your body
Sing loudly like no one is watching
Sing to a song and try to match the tones and rhythms
Sing along with the radio or your iPod
Watch some funny videos on YouTube
Watch puppy and kitten videos on YouTube
Watch a cartoon or kids movie
Listen to an audiobook
Find a new audiobook
Listen to a podcast
Find a new podcast
Watch something upbeat on Netflix or Hulu
Rewatch your favorite sitcoms
Rewatch your favorite movies
Watch a documentary
That’s it! You got through 177 Ways to Ground Yourself Now!
I challenge you to try a new technique and share with me in the comments how it worked for you!
Want more ways to de-stress?
Box Breathing: A Tool for Anxiety
Follow me through some guided meditations.
Check out these Mindfulness and Meditation Apps.
Have a read through my Tools for Anxiety series.
Grounding Techniques: Examples & How They Help
Ready to start Anxiety Therapy Orlando?
Mindful Living Counseling Orlando is a trauma healing center. Our Orlando Therapy Services include anxiety therapy, trauma counseling, eating disorder recovery, teen counseling, and healing from toxic relationships. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we use a down-to-earth approach infused with cutting-edge therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy so clients can heal at the root level and experience lasting change. Feel free to access one of our Guided Meditations to help you feel settled and calm now.