9 GROUNDING EXERCISES FROM A NEW YORK CITY anxiety THERAPIST

Grounding exercises can help refocus your attention on the present moment when you’re feeling distressed or disconnected to your surroundings. This type of mindfulness can help shift your attention away from racing thoughts or worries, redirecting it towards sensory experiences. Practicing regularly can aid in reducing stress, anxiety, and promoting mindfulness.
As a therapist for anxiety in New York City, I practice these exercises with my clients experiencing panic, anxiety, depression, and stressors from city life. By practicing in session, my client’s are able to ground themselves for more presence in the sessions themselves, and remind themselves how these exercises don’t take a lot of time or effort - they simply take practice.
Find one or two that you connect with and practice them when you’re not in a heightened state, so when you do find yourself in distress, your body can more easefully shift into grounding mode.

1. Box Breathing
   When your body is feeling heightened and anxious, this technique can help stabilize your breath and calm your mind. It’s simple and always in reach. The more you practice, even when you’re feeling your best, the easier it is to grab for when you’re in need.
   How it works: Take a breath in, counting to four. Hold, counting to four. Let your breath slowly out, counting to four. Hold, counting to four. Continue for as long as you’d like.

2. Body Scan
   Gently close your eyes, if you can. Start at the top of your head, and slowly work your way down through your entire body. Your face and neck, shoulders and arms, chest and hips and stomach and pelvis and thighs and knees and calves and heels out the soles of your feet. Simply notice how each part of your body feels - not how you want it to feel or how you think it should feel - but how it really feels. Don’t judge it, simply notice it and ground in the present moment.

3. Five Senses 
   This exercise helps engage in your senses and ground in the space around you. If you’re feeling too overwhelmed to go through all five senses, simply focus on one of them.
   Sight: Open your eyes and focus on five things you can see around you. Take your time to notice details, colors, shapes, and textures. Describe these things silently to yourself.
   Hearing: Pay attention to four things you can hear. It could be the sound of traffic, birds chirping, the hum of appliances, or any other noises in your environment. Try to identify each sound without judgment.
   Touch: Pay attention to three things you can feel through your sense of touch. It could be the texture of your clothing, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the feeling of the ground beneath your feet, or an object you're holding. Focus on the sensations.
   Smell: Notice two distinct scents around you. It might be the smell of food, flowers, fresh air, or anything else present in your surroundings. Take a moment to breathe in these scents.
   Taste: Identify one taste you can perceive. This could be the lingering taste of a recent meal, a drink, or simply the taste in your mouth. If you have something nearby to taste, like a piece of fruit or a drink, take a small bite or sip and notice its flavor.

4. Count color
   Choose a color: Select a specific color to focus on. Try not to rush; take your time to look around and find objects or items displaying that particular color.
   Count the items: Once you've chosen the color, start counting the items around you that match that color. For example, if you've chosen the color blue, count the number of blue objects you see.
   Observe mindfully: As you count, take a moment to observe each object mindfully. Notice the shades, textures, and variations in that particular color. Engage with each item fully before moving on to the next one.
   If you’d like to continue, simply shift to another color. If you feel comfortable or want to continue the exercise, choose another color and repeat the process. Go through the same steps—select the color, count the items displaying that color, and mindfully observe each one.

5. Recite a poem
   This one will take preparation, which is good for practice! Find a poem that brings up feelings of comfort and grounding. Practice saying it at least once a day, first with it in front of you and then, eventually, without. Soon you’ll be able to recite it with ease and can return to it whenever you’re in need of some meditative comfort from words. A few places for comforting poetry: Mary Oliver, poetryisnotaluxury, Wendell Berry

6. Anchor in a description of the moment.
   Describe to yourself what is happening in the moment you are in, with as much detail as you can. For example, ‘I am Grace and I’m sitting at my desk in my home office in Brooklyn, New York. My dog is laying near me on his perch and no one else is here. I am safe. A beam of sun is stretching itself out on the wall above my desk because it is morning, 9:08 am on Friday, November 17, 2023.’ etc etc.

7. Visit your safe enough place
   Take a few minutes to think about a place that makes you feel safe, comfortable, at ease. Close your eyes and visualize this safe space. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just safe enough for you to feel comfortable. Describe the space to yourself in great detail - what it looks like, what it feels like, who is there with you. Whenever you need to find some calm, bring yourself back to your safe enough place.

8. List Gratitudes
   Gratitude practices have the power to shift people’s view of the world and there’s science to back it.
   Start small with just one thing you’re grateful for each day. Find a time that is part of your routine, such as when you’re brushing your teeth or tucking into bed, and find of one thing that happened during the day that you’re grateful for, no matter how tiny it feels. As you practice, it will come with greater ease and your list can grow longer.

9. Repeat a mantra.
   Choose a phrase that has meaning to you and where you’re at in this moment of your life. Turn to the phrase in repetition when you need a reminder, softly whispering it to yourself or simply saying it in your mind.
   Here are a few to get you started:

• This will pass, I am strong, I am doing my best.

• I am in control of my thoughts, and I will get through this.

• Everything I need will appear right on time.

The daily stresses of living in New York City can bring anxiety, racing thoughts, and panic, especially if you’re a highly sensitive person. Reach for these grounding exercises for anxiety as tools for calming, and reach out for help - there is hope for more easeful living.