3 Types of Grounding Strategies to Cope with Negative Emotions or Pain
Grounding is a set of distraction strategies focusing on the external world help detach in the moment from emotional and/or physical pain. Grounding can be used any time, any place, anywhere to help you stay in touch with the present and remain neutral observers of your experience – avoiding judgments of ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
- Mental Grounding: Focusing your mind
- Describe your environment in detail using all of your senses
- Describe objects, sounds, textures, colors, smells, shapes, numbers of items, temperature
- List all things in a specific category
- Types of dogs, names of musicians, cities, songs, cars, tv shows
- Describe an everyday activity in great detail
- A meal you cook, your morning routine, directions
- Describe your environment in detail using all of your senses
- Physical Grounding: Focusing your senses
- Run cool or warm water over your hands
- Touch various objects around you, noticing how they feel
- Carry grounding objects (clay, smooth stone, squishy stress ball, piece of string)
- Notice your body
- Weight of body in chair, feet on ground, wiggle toes, dig heels into floor, walk barefoot, stretch, clench and release fists
- Soothing Grounding
- Think of favorites
- Color, animal, season, food, time of day, person
- Remember words to an inspiring or uplifting song, quote, poem
- Serenity Prayer
- Say a coping statement
- I can handle this; This too shall pass; I’ll get through this
- Think of favorites
Try practicing with different grounding strategies to see what is most helpful to you. The next time you find yourself very angry, in a panic, or in extreme pain, try using your favorite strategy to help you through that moment.
