Grounding. We all remember it as a bad thing from childhood. Our parents would take away TV, social outings and the phone and we would whine until we got our privileges back. But not all grounding is bad.
As the weeks of social distancing progress and extend, it can be tough to center yourself. While watching Netflix, playing video games and scrolling through social media can be a nice distraction, if you want to clear your mind and ground your body you need to turn your focus elsewhere. One way to do that is to ground yourself using your five senses. I will walk you through this exercise as part of our ongoing self-care series for dealing with stress and anxiety.
Grounding with Your Five Senses:
- 5 things you can see: Identify and focus on each of these five things. These things can be the sun, a picture of your family on the wall, people walking by your house, etc.
- 4 things you can feel: Can you feel the sun shining or the wind blowing? What do your feet feel like on the ground? Are you holding something in your hand?
- 3 things you can hear: Close your eyes and focus on the sounds around you. Maybe there are birds chirping, a lawn mower going, a dog barking, etc.
- 2 things you can smell: Keep your eyes closed and turn your focus to your nose. Can you smell fresh cut grass or flowers outside? Is dinner cooking or the laundry basket nearby?
- 1 thing you can Taste: Now, tune into your taste buds. Maybe you can taste your last meal, the coffee you are sipping or the salt from the chips you are enjoying.
Need further help for managing big life transitions? We are accepting new clients of all ages from Iowa and Nebraska for telehealth sessions. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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