Grounding
Sounds like some woowoo bullshit. What even is ‘grounding’?
There are many times in our lives when we may feel untethered, lost and confused. These feelings may completely overwhelm us and cause us significant distress or fear. Having our thoughts swimming loosely, wildly around in our heads can be a frightening experience. Not knowing how to stop it can feel even worse.
I know that when I have times like this, I need to stop. Nothing else can come first, nothing else can be done or continued. My state of being is too overwhelmed to function and I need to ground myself.
Our triggers may be varied from person to person, so observing or reflecting on what has happened prior to this will be crucial information to store for later.
For some, a sense of being out of control, of missing out on something, or of being left out or forgotten, can trigger feelings of overwhelming loneliness, fear or anxiety. Our functionality may be impacted in that moment and can even lead to panic attacks.
Enter, grounding.
For me, and many others, grounding gives a sense of calm and slows me down. It stops me from unravelling too far or spiralling too fast. It narrows my lens, limits my thoughts and input, and keeps me focussed on the here and now. Even for a few minutes until I come back to a more even state.
What we’re looking for when we say ‘grounding’, is any activity that can lower your hyperarousal state in your mind and body, and return it to a more optimal arousal zone through the ventral vagal system. This is called being able to stay in a 'Window of Tolerance’.
Grounding can be a form of staying regulated to yourself. Grounding can also be a form of staying connected to things greater than us - community, beliefs, earth, other people. We want to find and achieve anchor points for ourselves.
Here are some basic grounding activities that work for me and many others. Finding ones that connect with you is important so that you can keep these tricks up your sleeve for whenever you need them. You’ll find that some of them are similar to our previous blog conversation on panic attacks.
Temporary shut down. Close or cover your eyes. Take a slow, deep breath. Take another slow, deep breath. And then another. Still your body. Relax your shoulders. Repeat as necessary.
Visualisations. Imagine strong roots coming out from the underneath of your feet and stretching into the ground and earth. Rooting and holding you steady and strong. Take time to create this image.
Feel the feet. Take your attention to your feet. Feel the texture of the sock or shoe you are in, or the floor you are on. Roll and wriggle it around slowly, carefully. Take time to notice every bump, every groove, every pressure. Play with pressure and pace here. Ask yourself questions about what it feels like.
Rock and water. You are a rock. You are a large, heavy rock in the middle of a pleasant, free flowing creek. The water is clear. Your edges have been worn smooth by the many years of water flowing around you. Sometimes the water is fast and busy, other times it is slow and gentle. Regardless, you, the rock, stay steady and strong, allowing the water to always flow around you.
