What can you do when anxiety takes hold?
You notice racing thoughts or looping worries, “you are in your head.”
Here are a few simple, practical tools that can help you reconnect to the here-and-now by gently bringing your attention back to your body and surroundings.
You can use your senses and body awareness to interrupt anxious spirals and help you feel safer, calmer, and more centered. Whether you’re in the middle of a stressful moment or recovering afterward, these exercises can serve as anchors—reminders that you are here, and you are safe.
You don’t need to do them all at once. Try one or two that feel most natural. With practice, these techniques can become reliable ways to soothe your nervous system and regain a sense of steadiness.
Grounding Techniques Using the 5 Senses
1. The 5-4-3-2-1 Method
In your current environment, sense and 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
This engages multiple senses to shift focus from anxiety to the external environment.
2. Temperature Shifts
Hold ice cubes, run cold water over wrists, splash cold water on your face.
These techniques activate the vagus nerve and shift attention to physical sensations.
Grounding Techniques Using Body Awareness
3. Anchoring With Breath and Feet
Feel your feet grounded and take deep, slow breaths, noting the rise and fall of your breath.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Brief)
Example: Tighten fists, hold, then release.
Repeat with shoulders or legs.
This helps release physical tension.
5. Grounding Through Movement
Walk slowly (indoors or outdoors) and feel each step.
Movement encourages mindful engagement and can regulate nervous system arousal.
Try slow chair stretches or bilateral tapping stimulation:
Examples of Chair Stretches
Overhead Stretch:
While sitting tall in a chair, inhale and raise your arms towards the ceiling. Exhale and lower them down. This opens the chest and extends the spine.
Neck Stretches:
Gently tilt your head to the side, bringing your ear towards your shoulder, holding for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side. You can also gently lower your chin to your chest and hold.
Spinal Twist:
Sit with your feet flat and place one hand on the opposite knee. Twist your upper body gently towards the side where your hand is on your knee, holding for a few breaths.
Seated Cat-Cow:
Sitting with hands on your thighs, inhale and arch your back, lifting your chest (Cow pose). Exhale, round your back, and tuck your chin towards your chest (Cat pose).
Seated Hamstring Stretch:
Scoot to the edge of your chair, extend one leg with the heel on the floor, and gently lean forward from the hips, feeling the stretch behind the knee.
Figure 4 Stretch:
Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh and gently press down on the crossed knee while keeping your back straight. Hold and repeat on the other side.
Arm Raises:
Sitting tall, raise one arm overhead, hold, and then lower. Alternate arms. You can also raise both arms simultaneously.
Shoulder Rolls:
Roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion, and then backward.
Ankle Circles:
Lift one foot slightly off the floor and rotate your ankle clockwise and then counterclockwise.
Examples of bilateral tapping techniques
Butterfly Hug:
Cross your arms over your chest, placing each hand on the opposite shoulder. Gently tap your shoulders alternately, mimicking butterfly wings. You can focus on your breath or repeat calming affirmations while tapping.
Knee or Leg Tapping:
Sit and alternately tap your knees or legs with your hands, creating a steady rhythm.
Foot Taps:
While sitting, gently tap your left and right feet on the floor in an alternating rhythm. This can be a discreet way to practice in public.
Auditory Tapping:
Listen to alternating sounds or music through headphones, with the sound switching between your left and right ears. There are apps specifically designed for this.
Eye Movements:
Follow a moving object, such as a finger, with your eyes as it moves from side to side. Or move your eyes from left to right being aware of what you’re seeing in your environment on your left and your right.
