Description: Sometimes, negative emotions and bad memories can lead to panic attacks, and these are experiences that nobody wants to go through. Grounding techniques can bring you back to reality and help you concentrate on the present. Read on to find out more!
Do you often find your mind wandering? Are you struggling to focus on the task at hand? Well, guess what? You are not alone. Many people struggle to find their mental balance, and they often try various things, from yoga, sports, video games, or just by trying their luck out at Live Jazz.
If you wish to achieve mindfulness, you ought to know a thing or two about grounding techniques. Practicing mindfulness is not very complicated, and with some practice, you can easily make it a part of your routine. These grounding techniques are especially helpful for those suffering from substance abuse, PTSD, bad memories, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, etc.
Recently, much attention is being paid to mental health all over the world. As such, people have come to understand the importance of grounding techniques. If you are just starting to take part in mindfulness activities, you may struggle to maintain focus, and that is where grounding techniques come in. Interested? Here we shall discuss how to use grounding techniques to help you achieve mindfulness and attain peace of mind.
What is Grounding?
While some people use grounding techniques and mindfulness interchangeably, they are not the same. Mindfulness refers to paying attention to the current situation and looking at it objectively. On the other hand, grounding involves shifting the attention from negative thoughts and bad experiences to focus on your present wellbeing.
So while you are trying to practice grounding techniques, you are not allowing the negative thoughts to surface. Instead, you are forcing yourself to concentrate on the present. Those who are suffering from trauma often find it difficult to practice mindfulness and adopt a non-judgmental outlook.
What Difficulties Can You Face?
Now you know what grounding techniques are, let’s look at the difficulties you can face while practicing mindfulness. One of the most commonly recommended grounding techniques is meditation. But while practicing this, you might find your mind wandering or getting bored. You may feel like you are wasting your time, and this makes you restless.
Another problem many individuals face while practicing grounding techniques is commonly known as the ‘monkey mind.’ This refers to an excited state of mind where it keeps jumping from one thought to the next, like a monkey who’s tree-hopping. Although it can often be confused with a wandering mind, the pace at which it occurs is much faster.
The ‘monkey mind’ phenomenon is not only restricted to meditation. When you are extremely anxious or stressed, you often find it hard to focus. Sometimes this can lead to severe consequences, especially when you are driving or operating machinery.
Different Grounding Techniques
Now, let’s look at some of the best grounding techniques for dissociation:
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Don’t Leave Paper Scattered Around Your House
Try to avoid keeping paper in multiple locations and don’t allow them to be scattered throughout your living space. But out of all grounding techniques, why should you practice this one? Well, believe it or not, scattered paper can spread negative energy in the environment.
The thing is, our mind associates paper with incomplete tasks. For example, you might be unconsciously thinking about whether it is necessary or where you should keep it next. When there are piles of paper all around you, it tells you to take some action, and this can easily make you feel overwhelmed.
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Be Aware of Your Thoughts
One of the simplest grounding techniques for anxiety is to be in touch with your thoughts. You cannot practice any grounding technique until you are aware that your thoughts are drifting. It is essential, however, to not judge yourself for this.
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Focus on Your Body
Focusing on the various parts of the body can be one of the most effective yet easiest grounding techniques to practice. For example, while you are sitting down on a chair, you can concentrate on the different parts that touch the chair. You can follow a system, scan your body from the head down, and focus on the sensations.
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Focus on Breathing
Try to control your breathing and count the breaths you take. Track the starting and ending points of the inhalations and exhalations. You can also try to inhale and exhale for a certain period.
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Exercise
One of the most effective ground techniques to bring yourself back to the present is through exercising. It can be anything from a long workout session to a leisurely jog. It is one of the grounding techniques that can effectively rescue you from a panic attack by shifting the focus on your body.
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Stretching
This is one of the grounding techniques you can practice anytime, anywhere. Begin with light stretching and concentrate on your breathing. Also, you should pay attention to bodily sensations.
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Keep Your Surroundings Clean
Every morning, practice grounding techniques by cleaning up your room. Get rid of the trash and put things in the proper places. This helps you restore order and achieve mindfulness.
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Avoid Dropping Stuff
While it seems tempting to just drop things you don’t need, it can lead to a lot of negative energy. This energy can disrupt your grounding techniques. It would help if you tried to keep the order by not dropping stuff now and then.
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Go Through Your Mail
One of the best grounding techniques is to check your mail daily. Doing this makes you aware of pending tasks and unpaid bills. As such, you get in touch with reality, and your anxiety is relieved.
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Foot Exercise
One of the most common grounding techniques is to dig your feet into the ground and feel the connection that forms. Concentrate on how the ground applies a reaction force on your feet.
Final Thoughts
Now you know about the different grounding techniques, you can put them to practice and achieve mindfulness. Remember that being at peace with yourself and reducing stress are two of the secret weapons that you can leverage in the modern society.
Do you have any other grounding techniques you would like to share? We would love to hear about your experience.
Thomas Glare (Author)
Thomas has a Bachelor’s Degree from NYU and has traveled extensively in the last few years. He has been specializing in mindfulness since 2015 and is currently working to launch an online course dedicated to meditation. Andrew now lives in San Diego, California.
