Grounding Techniques : Group Effort Article

[Chava]

Yes I use different ways to ground in different situations. High intensity (like heart palpitations and panic or feeling extra unreal): pushing against a wall, my car, a heavy piece of furniture with my legs. Slowly but pushing out that energy, exhaling too. If I can take it down a notch, then a regular walk or other exercise helps.

So that, and others:

• Pushing against something heavy, letting energy exit, or exercising
• Compression (wrapping myself up tight or just wrapping area I want to hurt or area where I feel more energy...like wrapping part of my leg or arm in compression or athletic tape)
• Music, singing bowls, other forms of sound
• Shutting myself in small, dim, quiet, interior room (no windows) for a while.
• Either curling up or lying on my stomach
• Breathing into my hands (like a tiny O2 mask)
• Holding or sleeping with a knife (closed blade) if really bad. Not sure I'd add this to a shared list but this was a turning point where I noticed that my self harm urges were probably mostly born of disorganized self-protective energy (turned against myself)
• soaking my feet in warm water
• Calling someone who understands if I'm overwhelmed, or someone just to chat and distract me if I'm heading in a downward spiral
• Holding a pet or stuffed animal
• Art work if just on edge, scattered or overwhelmed
• Watching a comedy if on edge but not totally ungrounded

 

[Deleted member 43031]

Ok wow, the last two days were really bad. Slept terribly and dread it because bad dreams, and I hate waking up.
Well - today: Instead of giving into the hyper-vigilance, I set my timer for 60 minutes - and laid down on the couch, I hold still - not moving and focus on my breathing. I also do an exercise in martial arts in visualization; I do all the "elements" each is a relaxed pose, earth, metal, earth, water, earth, wood, earth, fire, earth. You have to do earth in-between each element. I always end with the water pose in my visualization as it calms and soothes me. I tend to fall asleep during this. Or I repeat words in thought such as "calming", "soothe". I have practiced this for over a year and it makes a difference as when I hold still and totally let go (also play my soothing music on Pandora when I meditate) - it helps. Plus years of meditation. After this - walking. I had to force myself to walk - and since I got a camera, I go on "camera" walks, shoot birds, rabbits, flowers and gorgeous cloud formations. I just described how I coped today. And it was hard, it is so hard to do this when your sleep is minimal, and your exhausted - but better than letting it build. xo

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I do not disasociate anymore so I have to deal with anxiety and panicking which is really scary, The breathing really slows down the panic. I am remembering to do this more and more lately. Lighting a scented vanilla candle. Lighting some incense. Relaxing in a chair and just focusing on that. Drinking some cold or hot liquid. Smoking a cigarette. Going for a short walk. Remembering to eat three times a day.

When I did disasociate, it was always because I did not feel safe and I knew that I was only doing it for that reason so I work on making myself feel safe as much as possible. I pray. I distract by doing something I have to concentrate on.

 

[Changing4Best]

I have a new technique that I use now, besides MINDFULNESS.

I have 2 favorite memories that I cherish. One is of the Beach at sunset time in Clearwater Beach Florida. I used to go there about once a week to watch the sunset, so this is a composite memory. I have it written down, and when I need to calm myself or feel comforted, I go to it. I don't always have to read the written version of it to be helped by it. I can call it up into my memory and just VISUALIZE it and its many various versions over and over in my mind. Usually just going over it once or twice will do it, IF I REMEMBER TO DO SO. Remembering is the hard part, because when I get super upset, I find it hard to think about anything but when I am upset about, especially if it is ongoing, which often it is.

My other favorite memory is of Horse Back Riding. I have done this many times in my life, so I can call up any of the various happy memories of going horse back riding and be relieved of my current troubles. Listening to the hoofbeats and sensing the memories in others ways helps also, like feeling my seat in the saddle helps too. I often use this memory, just of being on a horse, to help me drift off to sleep. It is often the last thing on my mind before I slip off into "never never land."

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

This is the breathing technique that was my gateway breathing experience that easily grounds me and brought/brings me much relief, in many ways:
Rhythmic Stress Relief: Stopwatch Tap Technique with Jim Donovan

I thought I already had breathing under control, especially since I was still living and stuff, but never realized the true power of my breath. It's with me 24/7, it's free, and I have total control over it. I was able to stop taking xanax for anxiety and ambien for sleep once I learned this and practiced it a while. I also added alternate nostril breathing and some other counted breath techniques to enhance what I learned in this video. Breath is one hell of a powerful tool. I practice every morning and every night, and often several times throughout my day, especially when I'm not under stress, as that helps me once the shit hits the fan.

My other proven method, through direct and ongoing experience, of staying grounded is to choose to only consume and surround myself with real whole food plant-based foods/products vs. artificial or purposely harmed things that actually nurture my being vs. continually draining and straining it. I quickly learned that putting death/artificially created means in and around my body ensures getting what feels like death/artificial means back out again. That includes all foodstuffs, all hygiene products, cleaning products, scented products, etc.

I no longer use animals for my pleasure, most especially in a way that has them killed or exploited through forcible impregnation and such simply to provide humans with more products. I felt enough of that abusive handling from others in my own meat coated skeleton without pushing it off on another species, too. That's a whole lot of heartbreaking and abusive energy we soak up, that most of us never even think about since we've been taught it's okay to do, while we choose to consume and use certain things we've been made to believe are very necessary. Spending time in nature and growing my own food as much as humanly possible has been yet another saving grace that keeps me grounded, which I'd never been exposed to or taught about through most of my existence.

Connecting with nature each day...earth, air, fire, and water....has become my most valuable and most effective grounding tools ever. From my experiences of working in the mental health profession for over 13 years, I tried just about every pharmaceutical and talk therapy method there is, none of which helped as well or as long as the breath and mindful consumption habits have. Grateful to have had a chance to try both in depth, even if it did take an emergency scene to get me to try the consumption habit shift. The teacher arrives when the student is ready, so they say.