Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Grounding WorksGrounding TechniquesBenefitsWhen to Seek Professional Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Grounding Works

Grounding Techniques

Benefits

When to Seek Professional Help

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Grounding is a coping strategy designed, as the name suggests, to “ground” or immediately connect you with the present moment. When you feel yourself caught in the grip of fear or anxiety, focusing your sensations in the present moment can help you get out of those distressing thoughts and feelings.

Grounding techniques are often used as a way of coping withflashbacksordissociationwhen you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).They can also be helpful in other types of anxiety.

Because it focuses on being present in the moment, grounding can be considered a variant ofmindfulness. Grounding techniques can also be a distraction, getting you out of your head and away from upsetting thoughts, memories, or feelings.

At a GlanceIf you experience flashbacks, dissociation, or anxiety, grounding techniques can be a powerful tool to bring your focus back to the present moment. These techniques connect you with the physical sensations you are experiencing at the moment, which helps distract you from what’s going on in your mind. Examples of specific grounding techniques include counting, reading, sniffing peppermint, listening to nature sounds, chewing gum, or massaging your temples. These techniques are helpful because you can use them anytime, anywhere. However, it’s also important to seek help from a trained mental health professional if you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition like anxiety or PTSD.

At a Glance

If you experience flashbacks, dissociation, or anxiety, grounding techniques can be a powerful tool to bring your focus back to the present moment. These techniques connect you with the physical sensations you are experiencing at the moment, which helps distract you from what’s going on in your mind. Examples of specific grounding techniques include counting, reading, sniffing peppermint, listening to nature sounds, chewing gum, or massaging your temples. These techniques are helpful because you can use them anytime, anywhere. However, it’s also important to seek help from a trained mental health professional if you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition like anxiety or PTSD.

Earthing–A Technique to Help Ground Your Body

Grounding techniques often use the five senses—sound, touch, smell, taste, and sight—to immediately connect you with the here and now. For example, singing a song, rubbing lotion on your hands, or sucking on sour candy are all grounding techniques that produce sensations that are difficult to ignore or distract you from what’s going on in your mind.

This helps you directly and instantaneously connect with the present moment.At the same time, grounding reduces the likelihood that you will slip into a flashback or dissociation.

How you ground yourself is highly personal. What works for one person may trigger anxiety or flashbacks in another. You may need to do some trial and error to figure out what grounding techniques work best for you. Pay attention to the coping mechanisms you’ve already developed to help you get through flashbacks and anxiety and see if you can build on them and/or use them as grounding techniques.

To connect with the here and now, do something (or several things) that will bring all your attention to the present moment. Be sure to keep your eyes open while you’re grounding yourself so you’re aware of everything that’s going on around you.

If you notice that you’re slipping into a flashback or a dissociative state, try some of these grounding techniques.

Sight

Smell

Sound

Taste

Touch

Other

Benefits of Grounding Techniques

The nice thing about grounding is that many of these can be done in any environment.You might be home alone or out in public, but once you feel that flashback or dissociation coming on, you can use grounding to move your focus back to the present.

Working on grounding takes dedication, but it becomes easier over time. If these particular grounding techniques don’t work for you, try something else.

For example, some people find that a rubber band on their wrist is useful for snapping them back to the moment. The ultimate goal is to live in the now and focus on the present when the past starts coming up.

Ground can be a helpful way to manage symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, and flashbacks. If the symptoms you are experiencing are causing distress or interfering with your life, it’s important to talk to a mental health professional. The specific treatment your doctor or therapist recommends will depend on your diagnosis.

PTSD Treatments

Your doctor may prescribemedications, including antidepressants or antipsychotics, to help manage your symptoms. Different types of psychotherapy, includingcognitive processing therapy,eye movement desensitization and reprocessing(EMDR) therapy, andcognitive behavior therapy(CBT) can be helpful.

Anxiety Treatments

Anxiety is also typically treated with therapy and medication. Medications that may be prescribed for anxiety include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and beta blockers. CBT andexposure therapycan be highly effective.

Helpful Resources

If you aren’t gettingtreatmentfor your PTSD but would like to, you can find PTSD treatment providers in your area through theAnxiety Disorder Association of Americawebsite.

TheInternational Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD)also provides a wealth of information on the connection between trauma and dissociation, how to cope with dissociation, and links to therapists who treat trauma and dissociation.

How PTSD Is Treated

Takeaways

Grounding techniques can be extremely helpful for those moments when you feel yourself getting caught up in your own head. It can be as simple as paying attention to the world around you or engaging your senses to help distract you from anxious, fearful feelings. This can be particularly helpful if you have a condition such as PTSD or anxiety. However, it’s important to remember these techniques aren’t a substitute for treatment. If you are struggling with anxiety or symptoms of PTSD, be sure to talk to your doctor to learn more about treatments that can help.

9 Healthy Coping Skills for PTSD

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Robert NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161

Knox EJM.Trigger Warnings: History, Theory, Context. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; 2017.

Clark C, Classen CC, Fourt A, Shetty M.Treating the Trauma Survivor: An Essential Guide to Trauma-Informed Care. New York: Routledge; 2014.

Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC. US Department of Veterans Affairs.PTSD Recovery Program Treatment Manual. 3rd edition. 2015.

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.Grounding techniques.

Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow

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