Stay where you are! Don’t panic! Breathe! Please calm down!
Few words that revolve a lot around Mental Health conditions or when you are feeling anxious. But what I’m trying to tell you here is ‘to ground yourself’ when you’re stressed, or having overwhelming thoughts.
But what exactly is grounding?
Grounding is a self-soothing technique wherein you become aware of your senses in the moment so that your brain can process your thoughts. At times when you have a train of thoughts passing through, grounding helps in organizing & prioritizing those thoughts.
Grounding helps re-orient you to the here-and-now.
When we are ungrounded — we are more vulnerable to intrusive thoughts/images and sounds; self-harm urges and hyperactiveness. Being in this state can create an illusion of safety.
Anxiety is often hard to explain to others, extremely frustrating, and the unpredictability can be rough.
Well, grounding exactly isn’t a cure for anxiety, but it’s a useful technique to help ease the hardest moments.
Grounding can help people redirect unwanted thoughts by connecting in the ‘now’ usually by engaging in some mental exercises.
Practicing grounding regularly can be useful for general well-being & can increase resilience by making the skill become more accessible when you need it in times of distress.
Grounding, not only helps in relieving distressing moments but also in:
- Building greater personal insight
- Building a stronger sense of trust in you and your capabilities
- Learning to delay your reactions to stressors
- Reducing impulsive behaviors
Remember: with the help of grounding, you can learn to better manage your anxiety in the moment. It is also a useful tool for staying focused and not getting swayed by your anxious moments.
