Grounding
Grounding is a technique of restoring attention to the current moment, body and surroundings, especially when feeling tense, anxious or overloaded.
Definition
Grounding may include noticing the contact of your feet with the ground, naming objects in the environment, conscious breathing, touching a cold surface, describing a place, or moving slowly. It doesn't solve the root of the problem, but it helps you return to regulation and presence when your attention wanders to alarms, memories or catastrophic scenarios.
Key ideas
- Back to the present moment
- Contact with the body
- Reducing congestion
Practice and life
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: name five things you see, four things you feel, three sounds, two smells and one taste or breath.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to treat grounding as an escape from working with the problem. It is also a mistake to expect that the technique will immediately remove strong emotions.
> Grounding brings attention back to the here and now when the mind wanders into alarm or chaos.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What helps me come back to the here and now?
- Am I in touch with my body?
- What will I return to after calming down?