5 Practical Grounding Techniques to Manage Anxiety Right Now
When anxiety kicks in, it’s often because your brain thinks you’re in danger, even if there’s no real threat. This happens because of a small part of the brain called the amygdala - its job is to keep you safe, so when it senses danger (real or imagined), it sets off your body’s fight-or-flight response. Your heart races, your breathing speeds up, your muscles tense, and your mind starts scanning for threats, that’s why anxiety can make you feel on edge and stuck in worst-case scenario thinking.
You might find yourself catastrophising or imagining things going wrong in the future, it’s like your mind and body are running ahead of you, and it’s hard to slow them down.
That’s where grounding techniques come in, grounding helps bring you back to the present moment. It calms your nervous system and reminds your brain and body that you’re safe, right here, right now.
Here are five grounding techniques I often share with clients at Roles We Play Counselling, they’re practical tools you can try when anxiety shows up.
1. The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique
This is a simple exercise that uses your five senses to bring you into the present.
Here’s how it works:
5 things you can see. Look around and name five things, it could be the pattern on the carpet or the sky outside.
4 things you can touch. Notice textures, like the fabric of your clothes or the feeling of your feet on the floor.
3 things you can hear. Listen for nearby sounds, for example, a ticking clock, birdsong, distant traffic.
2 things you can smell. If you’re at home, you might smell a candle or a cup of tea. If not, think of a favourite scent.
1 thing you can taste. Maybe take a sip of water or notice the aftertaste of something you ate earlier.
This exercise helps slow down your racing mind and reconnect you to your surroundings.
2. Grounding Through Breath
When you’re anxious, breathing often becomes fast and shallow and this sends signals back to your brain that you’re still in danger. Slowing your breath helps tell your body it’s safe.
Try this (box breathing):
Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 counts.
Hold the breath gently for 4 counts.
Breathe out slowly through your mouth for 6 counts.
It’s often helpful to place a hand on your chest or stomach to feel the rise and fall. Repeat for a few minutes until things feel a little calmer.
3. Name What’s True Right Now
Anxiety can trick you into believing things that aren’t happening and your thoughts might be jumping into the future, imagining the worst. This grounding exercise can help bring you back.
Say out loud (or in your head) a few simple facts about the present moment:
“I’m sitting on my sofa.”
“It’s Monday afternoon.”
“My feet are on the floor and I can feel the rug.”
These facts can help anchor you and they remind your brain that in this moment, you’re okay.
4. Move Your Body
Anxiety can make your body feel restless or frozen, sometimes movement helps shift some of that pent-up energy.
You could:
Stretch your arms above your head
Roll your shoulders slowly
Get up and walk around the room, paying attention to each step
You’re not trying to get a workout in, just gently moving to reconnect with your body.
5. Hold a Grounding Object
This one’s about using touch to bring yourself back. Find something small and soothing to hold, like a smooth stone, a piece of fabric, a coin, or a stress ball.
When you hold it, focus on:
How it feels in your hand
Whether it’s warm or cool
Its texture or weight
It’s a simple way to focus your attention on something concrete when your mind feels scattered.
Finding What Works for You
Grounding techniques are a bit like tools in a toolbox and what works for one person might not work for another. And even for you, what helps in one situation might feel different in another.
The key is to experiment and see what feels most helpful, some people like grounding through movement, others prefer focusing on their breath or senses. Over time, you’ll figure out what’s most effective for you - and it’s helpful to have a few techniques ready to go, depending on what you need.
Grounding doesn’t fix everything, but it can give you the space to take a breath, calm your body, and take the next step forward.
When to Get Extra Support
If anxiety is making it hard to focus, rest, or enjoy your life, you don’t have to manage it alone. Therapy can help you understand where anxiety is coming from and learn new ways to cope. At Roles We Play Counselling, I use CBT and Transactional Analysis to help people work through anxious thoughts and feelings and feel more in control of their lives.
👉 If you’re new to therapy, you might find it helpful to read What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Feel free to get in touch for a chat or to book a session and you can also explore more about how I work with anxiety here.
