50 Ways to Ground Yourself

Grounding is a word that most of us have heard of, but what does it actually mean?

The best way to explain it is that when we are not grounded, we might be anxious, preoccupied, or disconnected from ourselves.

Grounding is a way to refocus on the present moment and get our minds off of anxious thoughts. When we ground ourselves, we root ourselves into our bodies. Think about how a tree is rooted firmly into the ground. When we are ungrounded, we are all a little bit frantic and chaotic. When we are grounded, we usually feel more solid and connected.

50 ways to ground yourself when feeling anxious

None of us are immune to what’s happening in the world.

I am a therapist and just like everyone else, the last 18 months have been extremely anxiety-producing and for good reason. I have had to engage in more grounding activities over the last 6 months than I have had to in a long time.

Trauma is defined as something that is potentially life-threatening, and generally something that causes feelings of powerlessness.

We are all experiencing something that was completely unexpected, and we only have so much control over what is happening around us.

Grounding activities are usually activities that engage one of the 5 senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

Here are 50 things that other moms are doing to ground themselves:

  1. Cuddling on the couch

2. Time to yourself

3. Movement

4. Go for a run/walk

5. Yoga session

6. Using your favorite chapstick

7. Using your favorite lotion

8. A bowl of warm soup

9. Hot tea

10. A refreshing drink/smoothie

11. Meditation apps

12. A lavender roll (you can warm it in the microwave)

13. Watching your favorite episode of a show

14. Nostalgic music

15. Hot bath

16. Car ride

17. A good cry

18. A to-do list

19. Writing in your planner

20. Set a ten-minute timer to have time to yourself

21. Paying close attention to your breathing

22. Sex

23. Sitting in the sun

24. Make a gratitude list

25. Go to a support group

26. Baking

27. Create something

28. Have a long conversation with a close friend

29. A bike ride

30. Look at your favorite pictures or videos

31. Be near animals

32. Use an oil diffuser

33. Laugh at something

34. Reading a book or magazine

35. Sort clothes

36. Clean or organize

37. Watch something funny

38. Eat hard candy

39.  Use a phrase that anchors you like, “I am taking good care of myself.”

40.  Visualize yourself at a soothing place (the beach, mountains, in nature)

41.  Water plants

42.  Swim

43. Spend 5 minutes breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth

44. Chew gum

45. Put on music and dance or sing

46. Play with playdough

47. Draw or paint

48. Walk your dog

50. Play an instrument

Kelley Lockhart-Delaune
Kelley Lockhart Delaune was born and raised In Metairie, Lousiana. She is married to her husband and has two boys, Roman (10) and Remy (8). Kelley received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from LSU and her Masters in Social Work from Tulane in 2002. Kelley is a psychotherapist in private practice. She owns Modern Therapy and Wellness, a group practice. Her and her team focus on helping others to heal themselves and their relationships. You can find her mental health and wellness blog at: https://moderntherapyandwellness.com/. In her spare time, you can find her working out, drinking coffee, going to the beach, cursing too much, staying up too late and writing.

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