Grounding Techniques PDF
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If you’re looking for a grounding techniques PDF for your therapy practice, this article discusses grounding exercises and includes a free list of grounding techniques PDF.
Grounding is a process that leads to stabilization, balance, and allows people to become more in touch with the present moment.
When someone feels emotionally or mentally unstable, they need ways to find their footing again. A list of grounding techniques PDF could be helpful when someone is experiencing dissociation, a trauma response, an anxiety or anger trigger, or ruminating thoughts.
Grounding techniques are tangible, simple practices that can help take a person out of a dysregulated state and reorient them towards the present moment and a state of equilibrium.
You can download a free grounding worksheet at the top of this article as a grounding techniques PDF. The list of grounding techniques PDF includes some exercises that are focused on the body, and some that are focused on the mind. Depending on what someone is experiencing, certain exercises may be more effective than others.
Benefits of grounding techniques
The main benefit of grounding techniques is that they can bring someone out of a difficult mental or emotional state and land them in a more stabilized state.
If a client is over-activated with anxiety or stuck in a fight-or-flight response, grounding exercises can slow and calm them down. If a client is under-activated with a freeze response or dissociation, grounding exercises can gently stimulate them and help them reconnect to their body.
If a client is spiraling in a thought loop, grounding can help redirect their mind, break the loop, and help them focus on things that produce less anxiety.
The grounding techniques PDF attached to this article includes printable grounding exercises that can help clients ground themselves when distressed.
Types of grounding techniques
There are two main types of grounding techniques—techniques for the body and for the mind.
As mentioned in the grounding techniques PDF, the body exercises help clients use their five senses and their physical body to find grounding.
The mind-based exercises refocus the client’s thoughts onto mental activities that can shift how they are feeling. Therapists can make adjustments and suggestions to tailor the exercises for clients with a disability.
Here are some grounding exercises, which are included in the list of grounding techniques PDF:
Grounding techniques of the body
5-4-3-2-1 senses
This exercise goes through a checklist of the five senses:
- Observe and describe five things seen (texture, size, shape, color, etc.)
- Four things touched (texture, size, temperature, etc.)
- Three things heard (tone, volume, distance from sound, etc.)
- Two things smelled (strength of smell, pleasant or unpleasant, etc.)
- One thing tasted (current taste or previous remnant, sour or sweet, strong or weak, etc.)
The more clients describe sensory experiences, the more they will feel grounded in the present moment. This detailed descriptiveness is important for all the body-based grounding techniques.
Sensory accessory
Pick one of the five senses mentioned above and focus on it more in depth. Then, pick one object to focus that sense on. This could be an image for sight, an object to hold and touch, a sound or song to listen to, a scent to smell, or something edible to taste. It’s important to pick an item that feels engaging to the senses and describe it in detail.
Feet to the ground
Place your feet on the floor and notice the sensations of the floor against the bottom of each foot. Other movements can be mixed in too, such as wiggling the toes or gently picking up and stomping the feet against the ground.
Palms together
Place the palms together and push them further together several times. Notice the pressure of the hands and where the skin touches. You can also briskly rub your hands together until you start to notice slight warmth from the friction.
Tense and release
Start with tensing your hands into fists and then releasing the tension. You can then move onto tensing other muscle groups. For further engagement, pair the tensing with inhaling and the release with exhaling.
Cold temperature
Cold water or ice can have a calming or wakening effect, depending on the state you’re in. You can hold an ice pack, splash cold water on your face, or hold ice in your hands.
Breathe
Place a hand on your stomach and then take slow, deep breaths into the diaphragm until you can feel your inhales and exhales moving the hand on your stomach.
Stretch and move
Explore and find subtle movements or stretches that feel good to your body. Describe the sensation of each stretch or movement to yourself.
Grounding techniques of the mind
Safe imagery
Imagine yourself in a place that creates a sense of safety (close your eyes to help you imagine the place). Describe the experience of that place to yourself in detail. The location you imagine should not be related to any negative memories or associations.
Loved one
Picture someone in your life that has given you a sense of care or love. Imagine and describe being with that person, what you notice, how you are treated, how the person looks at you, etc.
Categories
Choose a topical category that is easy to recall and think of five to 10 items in that category. This can be states/capitals, clothing brands, movies, names of loved ones, or any other category that you choose.
Counting
Count upwards by nines until you can’t go any further, or count backwards from 100 by sevens or fours. You can adjust the simplicity or difficulty of this exercise depending on your comfort level and proficiency with math. The point is to make you focused enough on the task to distract you from the distress you may be feeling.
Name game
Spell your full name and the names of five loved ones. Then spell those names backwards.
Step by step
Think of a normal daily activity that you do consistently (e.g., cooking a meal, doing laundry, painting, etc.). Then describe each step of the process in detail.
Reading backwards
Pick an excerpt from a book or article. Read it backwards word by word and then letter by letter.
Mental drawing
Pick a pleasant mental image, then use a finger to imagine drawing that image.
Music recital
Pick a favorite song and then try to recall all of the lyrics of the song.
Using the grounding techniques PDF
Instruct clients to select tools from the grounding skills PDF that resonate with them and feel mentally or physically engaging. If the tools aren’t engaging enough to capture their attention, they will not be effective grounding mechanisms.
It is important that clients are willing to experiment and try different grounding techniques. Ultimately, the goal is to find several techniques that work for them, are easy to remember, and that they can quickly return to anytime they need them.
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