Other Things To Try: A List of Quick Grounding Activities
Here is a list of things you can use for grounding that are not specific techniques and you don’t really need a full instructions page for. These are fairly easy and some of them might be things that you’ve tried before without thinking of them as grounding. Some of these can also be done fairly quickly.
Mental Grounding
These are things meant to focus thoughts that might be activating or overwhelming.
Try to remember the words and tune of a song you like
Make a list of things from a category: types of cars, movies, books, sports mascots, crayon color names, animals, countries, etc.
Start singing.
Start subtracting numbers from 1,000. 1,000 minus 7 is 993, 993 minus 7 is 986, 986 minus 7 is 979, etc.
Remember as much as you can about a story you like.
Pick up an object and describe it in as much detail as possible
Look around and name as many things as you can see of a specific color or category
Soothing
These are things meant to help us feel safe and evoke positive emotions.
Drink water
Sing a song that you like
Think of someone you love
Think about your favorite food and what it tastes like
Give yourself a hug
Eat something you like
Name your favorites: favorite person, favorite season, favorite color, favorite movie, favorite song, favorite place, favorite actor, favorite animal, favorite sport, etc.
Think of a place where you feel happy and comfortable and imagine you are there
Listen to music
Say some affirmations
Sensations
These are things meant to remind us where we are and what we are doing right now.
Eat something safe but jarring: a pinch of salt, a whole lemon peel and all, an onion, pickle juice.
Lie flat on the ground on your back
Splash your face with water
Hold an ice cube
Hold a frozen orange
Clench and unclench your fists
Exertion
These help the part of our brains that make adrenaline, and want us to fight the danger we are in, feel like we’ve accomplished something and can relax now.
Go for a run or jog
Do as many squats as you can
Push hard on the wall, the floor, or some other immovable object
Yell as loud as you can
Punch a pillow or something that won’t be damaged by being punched.
Takeaway
Different grounding techniques work for different people, at different times, and in different situations. These are just a few things and there are more options out there. This is the last post in this series, which includes an overview of what grounding is and five posts that go into detail on other grounding techniques. Feel free to check out the rest of the series and find what feels right for you!