Breathing and Grounding Techniques for Anxiety
Breathing and Grounding Techniques for Anxiety
December 09 2022 TalktoAngel 0 comments 1445 Views
When the outward manifestations of an anxiety attack begin, you are familiar with how it feels. Your pulse quickens. A dry mouth is there and trembling throughout the body. You start to perspire icily. Your mind is taken over by panic, which defies reality and logic. What if we told you that you can stop anxiety attacks in their tracks before they have a chance to overwhelm you? There are, in fact. They are referred to as grounding techniques.
To help you continue to focus on the here and now and eliminate anxious feelings, try some grounding exercises. You can use grounding techniques almost anywhere to help free your mind of unpleasant sensations, but they're especially helpful in the following situations:
- Anxiety
- Well-being
- Stress
- Depression
- Detachment from mood
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
In these situations, mindfulness therapy and grounding techniques are things you can take physically or mentally to divert your attention from your fear. These relaxing techniques assist you in concentrating on the here and now and your immediate surroundings.
Physical grounding techniques
1. Rubbing
the palms together
You can also direct energy to your hands by rubbing your palms together. To generate heat through friction, quickly rub them together. Concentrate on using that heat to release worrying energy.
2. Stomping on the floor
It could be enjoyable to stomp around while paying close attention to how it feels to land on the ground. Keep your attention on the surface of the ground and the sensation it generates when it comes into touch with the foot.
3. Putting
hands in water
Pay attention to the temperature of the water as well as how it feels on your hands' backs, palms, and fingernails. Does the sensation persist throughout your entire hand? Use warm water first, then cold. Try cold water first, then warm water. How does it feel to get from the warm to ice water compared to the other way around?
4. Touch
or pick up objects nearby.
Do the objects you touch feel soft or hard? Heavy or light hot or cold? Pay attention to each item's texture and color. Try to think of specific hues or colors rather than just red or blue, for example turquoise.
5. Deepen
your breath
Inhale slowly, and then let out the air. If it's easier, you can mentally or verbally say "in" and "out" after each breath. Observe how it feels to exhale after each breath has filled your lungs.
6. Go
for a short walk
Be mindful of your steps; individuals can even record them. When you flower your foot within a week of raising it again, pay attention to how that feels as you walk.
7. Become
active
Perform a few stretches or exercises. You might try: Jumping jacks
Pay attention to how your body feels during each action, as well as when your hands or feet touch the ground or move in the air. Examples of exercises include jumping up and down, jumping rope, jogging in place, and stretching out various muscle groups one at a time.
8. Use the 5-4-3-2-1
strategy.
List the things you observe in and around you using your senses, counting backward from 5. As an illustration, you could begin by listing: From where you are seated, there are five things you hear, four things you see, three things you can touch, and two things you can smell. Make an effort to pay attention to the minute details that you might not normally notice, such as the color of the carpet flecks or the hum of your computer.
Mental grounding techniques
9. A
memory game
Looking at a detailed image for 5 to 10 seconds for example cityscape or scenes which you can observe. Turn the image face down and then try to replicate it as well as you can in your imagination. You may also make a mental list of everything you can recall about the image.
10. Using
some mathematics or numbers
Even if you struggle with math, numbers may help you find your core.
Try: Mentally going through a times table or counting down from one hundred
Pick a number and come up with five different methods to make it (6 + 11 Equals 17, 20 - 3 = 17, 8 2 + 1 = 17, etc.).
11. Reciting
something
Consider a verse, song, or chapter from a book that you know by heart. Say it out loud or silently in your brain. When speaking the words out loud, pay attention to how each word appears on your lips and in your mouth. Imagine each word as it would appear on a page while you speak the words in your brain.
12. Laughing
Create a ridiculous joke that would be appropriate for a candy or Popsicle stick. You may also watch a humorous animal video you like, a comedian or television show clip you like, or something else you might know would make you smile or laugh.
For further assistance connect with the Best Psychologist in India at TalktoAngel India’s no.1 Online Counselling and mental health well-being platform.
Contributed by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri and Dr. Sakshi Kochhar
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