Have you ever noticed your thoughts speeding up, your chest tightening, or your mind replaying something over and over?

Maybe you suddenly feel overwhelmed in a busy environment. Or disconnected and foggy. Or stuck in a loop of anxious thinking that’s hard to interrupt.

When this happens, it can feel as though your body has taken over – as if you’re no longer fully in control.

Grounding techniques are simple, practical tools that can help in these moments. They’re designed to gently bring your attention back to what is happening right now, rather than what might happen or what has already happened.

Grounding isn’t about forcing yourself to calm down. It’s about creating just enough space from intense thoughts or emotions, so that you can respond more steadily.

These techniques can be particularly helpful if you experience:

  • Anxiety or panic
  • Stress or overwhelm
  • Low mood
  • Post-traumatic stress
  • Dissociation
  • Self-harm urges
  • Traumatic memories
  • Sensory overload or shutdown

For many neurodivergent people, grounding can provide a way to regain orientation when the environment feels too loud, too busy or emotionally intense. The key is finding techniques that feel supportive, rather than restrictive.

In this guide, we’ll look at what grounding is, how it works and practical ways you can begin using it in everyday life.

 

What Is Grounding – And How Does It Work?

Grounding is a collection of simple techniques that help bring your attention back to the present moment.

When we feel anxious, overwhelmed, or triggered, our nervous system can switch into survival mode – often described as fight, flight, freeze or shutdown. You might notice your heart beating faster, your thoughts racing, your body feeling tense, or your mind going blank.

Grounding works by gently interrupting this pattern.

Instead of trying to ‘stop’ anxiety or push feelings away, grounding encourages you to focus on something neutral and concrete – such as your breathing, the feeling of your feet on the floor, or the sounds around you. This shift in attention can help reduce the intensity of the stress response and signal to your nervous system that you are safe in this moment.

From a psychological perspective, grounding draws on well-established principles:

  • Attention redirection, which reduces rumination and anxious spirals.
  • Sensory awareness, which anchors you in the present.
  • Nervous system regulation, particularly through breathing and body-based input.

For some neurodivergent individuals, this may look slightly different. Grounding might involve predictable sensory input (like deep pressure, repetitive movement or familiar sounds) rather than quiet stillness. There is no ‘right’ way to do grounding – it’s about finding what helps you feel more steady and oriented.

Importantly, grounding is not about eliminating emotion. Emotions are part of being human. The aim is to help you remain present enough to respond to them safely and thoughtfully, rather than feeling overtaken by them.

 

Benefits of Grounding

Practising grounding regularly offers several mental health benefits:

  • Reduces racing thoughts and helps manage anxiety or panic attacks.
  • Provides immediate relief during moments of emotional crisis.
  • Enhances emotional regulation, helping you respond rather than react to distress.
  • Supports daily mental wellness, preventing stress and tension from building over time.
  • Improves focus and clarity, even in moments of overwhelm.

 

Moving From Understanding To Practice

You do not need to feel highly distressed to try these techniques. In fact, it can be useful to experiment with them when you feel relatively steady, so they feel more familiar if you need them during more difficult moments.

As you read through the options below, some techniques may feel more appealing than others.

Grounding is not about doing the ‘right’ exercise. It’s about discovering what helps your nervous system feel more settled and oriented.

You might also find that what works changes depending on the situation. For example:

  • When anxiety is high, movement-based techniques may feel more helpful.
  • When thoughts are racing, structured mental tasks may work better.
  • During sensory overload, predictable sensory input may be most regulating.

Think of these techniques as tools you can try – not rules you have to follow.

With that in mind, here are several types of grounding approaches you can begin experimenting with.

 

Practical Grounding Techniques

Not every technique works for every person. Some people respond best to movement, others to sensory input, structure, or soothing reassurance. If something feels uncomfortable or increases overwhelm, it’s completely appropriate to stop and try something else.

 

  1. Physical Grounding

Anchoring through the body

Feet on the Floor

Sit upright and place both feet flat on the ground.
Press them down gently.
Notice pressure, texture, temperature.
Silently describe what you feel.

This simple exercise increases body awareness and can interrupt racing thoughts.

 

Hold Something Cold

Hold an ice cube or a chilled glass.
Focus on the temperature and sensation.

Brief, strong sensory input can help reduce dissociation or intense emotional surges by activating the body’s orienting response.

 

  1. Sensory Grounding

Using your five senses

The 5–4–3–2–1 Method

Name:

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can feel
  • 3 things you can hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can taste

Move slowly and deliberately.

This structured redirection is consistent with cognitive behavioural strategies that reduce anxiety by shifting attention away from internal threat signals.

 

Detailed Observation

Choose an object and describe it in detail — colour, shape, texture, weight.

This engages cognitive focus while remaining connected to the present environment.

 

  1. Breathing-Based Techniques

Supporting nervous system regulation

Extended Exhale Breathing

Inhale slowly for 4 counts.
Exhale for 6–8 counts.
Continue for 1–2 minutes.

Longer exhalation activates parasympathetic (calming) pathways via the vagus nerve and can reduce heart rate and arousal.

If focusing on breathing increases anxiety — which can happen for some individuals — you might prefer movement or sensory-based techniques instead.

 

  1. Movement-Based Grounding

Regulation through gentle activation

For some people — particularly during high anxiety or neurodivergent overwhelm — stillness can feel uncomfortable.

Wall Push

Stand facing a wall.
Place your hands flat against it.
Push gently for 10 seconds.
Release and repeat.

This provides proprioceptive input (deep pressure through joints and muscles), which many people find regulating.

 

Walk and Name

Take a short walk and silently name objects you pass.

Movement combined with structured labelling can reduce mental noise while supporting regulation.

 

  1. Mental Grounding

Engaging structured thinking

Categories

Choose a category (e.g., types of animals, countries, books) and list as many as possible.

Simple Counting

Count backwards from 100 in 3s or 7s.

These tasks engage the thinking part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex), which can reduce emotional reactivity.

 

  1. Soothing Grounding

Gentle reassurance and comfort

Reassuring Statements

Repeat quietly:

  • “I am safe right now.”
  • “This will pass.”
  • “I can take this one step at a time.”

Predictable Comfort

Use a weighted blanket, textured object, familiar music, or noise-cancelling headphones if sensory input feels overwhelming.

For neurodivergent individuals, predictable and self-chosen sensory input is often more effective than externally imposed techniques.

 

When Grounding May Not Feel Helpful

There may be times when grounding feels difficult or ineffective.

This can happen when:

  • Emotional distress is extremely intense.
  • Trauma responses are strongly activated.
  • Dissociation is significant.
  • The technique feels sensory-triggering or overwhelming.
  • There is frustration about ‘not doing it properly’.

If grounding does not help in a particular moment, that does not mean you have failed. It may simply mean your nervous system needs a different approach – or additional therapeutic support.

For some neurodivergent individuals, traditional grounding instructions (such as quiet breathing or stillness) may actually increase discomfort. In those cases, adapting the technique – using movement, deep pressure, sound or predictable structure – is not ‘cheating’. It is responsive self-understanding.

Difficulty with grounding can provide useful information about how your nervous system has learned to cope – and that can be explored safely within therapy.

 

A final Thought

Grounding is not about becoming perfectly calm or emotionally controlled. It is about helping you stay connected enough to move through difficult moments with greater steadiness and self-compassion.

Used regularly, these techniques can form part of a broader approach to managing anxiety, mood difficulties, trauma responses or sensory overwhelm. However, if your symptoms are persistent, worsening or significantly affecting your day-to-day life, a thorough assessment can help clarify what is happening and whether specific treatment may be beneficial.

In our practice, we provide mental health assessments and medication treatment where indicated. Grounding strategies can complement this structured approach, offering practical tools to support you between appointments and during difficult moments.