Grounding techniques: 17 strategies for coping with anxiety

Ever feel detached from the present moment? Like you’re watching your own life from afar, or that the world looks somehow unreal? Grounding techniques can help.

Grounding techniques are skills you can use to bring yourself back into the present moment. They can help with dissociation, anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, and flashbacks.

Here are 17 grounding techniques for anxiety to try.

What is grounding?

Grounding techniques are mental and physical exercises that can help you reconnect with the present moment. They work by engaging your senses and drawing your attention to your immediate environment.

Grounding can be especially helpful when you’re having overwhelming feelings, or when you’re feeling dissociated from your surroundings (that feeling of watching yourself from the outside). If you’re seeking treatment for a mental health condition like anxiety or PTSD, your therapist or psychiatrist may also recommend specific grounding exercises as part of your treatment plan.

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17 Grounding techniques for anxiety and stress

1. The 5-4-3-2-1 method

This popular grounding technique uses your five senses to anchor you in the present moment.

Try this: close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. Then, open your eyes and identify:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

As you go through each item, take a moment to really engage with each sense. This can help bring you back to the present moment if you’re experiencing anxiety or dissociation.

2. Focus on your breathing

Controlled breathing exercises can help reduce physiological symptoms of anxiety and stress, like rapid heart rate and shortness of breath.

Box breathing is one technique to try. Here’s how to do it:

• Breathe in for four counts
• Hold for four counts
• Breathe out for four counts
• Hold for four counts

Repeat five times or until you feel calmer.

3. Talk to a trusted person

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can help to talk to someone you trust—a partner, a close friend, or a family member. Simply having them there with you, or hearing their voice, can be grounding and reassuring.

4. Get physical

Engaging in physical activity can help relieve anxiety and ground you in the present moment. This can be as simple as going for a walk outside, or doing any movement that gets your muscles engaged.

If you feel a panic attack coming on, try clenching and releasing your fists a few times. This can help you tune into the physical sensations in your body.

5. Splash cold water on your face

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or having a panic attack, splashing cold water on your face can help activate the mammalian diving reflex, which helps your body regulate stress. You can also try applying an ice cube to your wrist or forehead.

6. Listen to music

Music can help shift your mood. If you’re feeling anxious, put on your favorite calming playlist to help ease the tension.

7. Say out loud where you are

If you’re feeling out of touch with the present moment, say out loud where you are. Try saying: “I am in [room] in [city]. It is [date]. My name is [name].”

8. Try a grounding object

A grounding object is any small physical object that you can keep with you to help ground you in moments of stress or dissociation. The goal is to engage your sense of touch to bring you back to the present moment. Good options include a smooth stone, a small piece of fabric, or even a fidget toy.

9. List things

Focus your mind by listing things in a category. For example, you could list all the countries you can think of, or items in a grocery store. The goal is to keep your mind focused on a neutral, structured task to redirect your attention away from anxious thoughts.

10. Count backwards

Counting backwards from 100 by 7s (100, 93, 86, 79…) can help redirect your attention and give your brain a focused task. This helps pull you out of anxious thoughts by engaging the rational, analytical part of your brain.

11. Change your environment

A change of scenery can help shift your mental state. If you’re inside, try stepping outside for some fresh air. If you’re outside, go for a short walk.

12. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a form of meditation in which you train yourself to notice your own thoughts and feelings without judgment. This can help give you a more objective perspective when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Mindfulness meditation can be practiced alone, but it’s also something your therapist or psychiatrist can help you with as part of your treatment. There are also apps and YouTube videos you can use to practice on your own.

13. Turn to sensory objects

Engaging your senses can help bring you back to the present moment. Try smelling a candle or perfume you like, or eating something with a strong taste. Strong sensory experiences tend to draw attention away from abstract anxious thoughts and toward concrete physical sensations.

14. Reach out to a friend

Connecting with someone you care about can be a powerful way to regulate difficult emotions.

Try texting or calling a friend. Let them know you're going through a difficult time. Sometimes just the act of reaching out and feeling connected to someone can help.

15. Do a body scan

A body scan is a mindfulness exercise in which you progressively draw your attention to each part of your body, from your toes to the top of your head. As you go, notice the sensations in each body part. This can help you tune into your body and become more aware of areas of tension.

To do a body scan: lie down or sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Start at your toes and slowly move upward, spending a moment on each body part. Notice what you feel—warmth, tension, tingling, nothing. Don’t try to change anything, just observe.

16. Try breathing exercises

There are many different breathing exercises you can try, including 4-7-8 breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, and pursed-lip breathing.

Check out our guide to tips for how to calm down.

17. Make physical contact with a pet

Petting an animal has been shown to reduce stress hormones and lower blood pressure. If you have a pet, try sitting with them and focusing on the sensation of petting them.

When to seek help

With 1 in 5 US adults suffering from some sort of mental illness each year, understanding our thoughts and behavior is crucial. Anxiety and other mental health conditions can be effectively treated.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, PTSD, or another mental health condition, you may benefit from the support of a mental health professional like a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist can diagnose and treat your condition, including with medication if appropriate.

Talkiatry offers virtual psychiatry from home, in days, and in-network with most major insurance plans.

About Talkiatry

Talkiatry is a national psychiatry practice that provides in-network, virtual care. Co-founded by a patient and a triple-board-certified psychiatrist, Talkiatry has over 800 doctors, 100 insurance partners, and first visits available in days. We treat patients with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, and more. Get started with a short online assessment.

The information in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and should never be substituted for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. If you or someone you know may be in danger, call 911 or the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 right away.