*If you need help, or you are in an emergency or crisis, visit “Support Resources“.*
What Is Grounding?
Grounding techniques are a set of strategies to detach from emotional pain. They help you focus outward on the external world rather than inward toward the self. Grounding techniques plant you more firmly on the earth instead of floating around in the difficult or unwanted thoughts and emotions.
**The techniques below come from the work of Lisa M. Najavits in her book Seeking Safety.
Physical Grounding Techniques
Ways of physical grounding help you focus on your senses:
- Run cool or warm water over your hands
- Grab tightly onto your chair as hard as you can
- Touch various objects around you
- Dig your heels into the floor
- Carry a grounding object in your pocket
- Jump up and down
- Notice your body
- Stretch
- Clench and release your fists
- Walk slowly, noticing each footstep
- Eat something, describing the flavors
- Focus on your breathing
Soothing Grounding Techniques
These ways of grounding focus on gentle and kind self-talk:
- Say kind statements
- Think of favorite things
- Picture people you care about
- Remember the words to an inspiring song, quotation, or poem
- Remember a safe place
- Say a coping statement
- Plan a safe treat for yourself
- Think of things you are looking forward to in the next week
Mental Grounding Techniques
Ways of mental grounding help you focus on your mind:
- Describe your environment in detail
- Play a “categories” game with yourself
- Do an age progression
- Describe an everyday activity in great detail
- Imagine
- Say a safety statement
- Read something, saying each word to yourself
- Use humor
- Count to 10 or say the alphabet
