5 Grounding Techniques for When You Feel Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed can strike at any time—whether you're juggling deadlines, managing family stress, or experiencing an anxiety episode. In these moments, it's easy to feel disconnected from your surroundings, body, and sense of control. Grounding techniques are powerful tools that bring your awareness back to the present moment, helping you regain calm and focus.

In this blog, we’ll explore five effective grounding techniques backed by psychological research and widely used in therapy. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, trauma, or emotional dysregulation, these strategies can help you feel more centred and in control.

What Are Grounding Techniques?

Grounding techniques are mind-body strategies used to anchor you in the here and now. They can be sensory (physical), cognitive (mental), or emotional, helping to divert attention from distressing thoughts or overwhelming emotions. Therapists often recommend grounding for managing anxiety, panic attacks, dissociation, and PTSD symptoms.

A 2015 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that grounding methods, particularly mindfulness-based approaches, reduced symptoms of emotional dysregulation and promoted greater self-awareness in individuals with anxiety disorders.

1. The 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Technique

One of the most widely recommended grounding exercises is the 5-4-3-2-1 method, which engages all five senses to reconnect with the present moment.

How to do it:

1. 5 things you can see – Look around and name five things you can visually notice.

2. 4 things you can feel – Notice four sensations (e.g., your feet on the ground, fabric on your skin).

3. 3 things you can hear – Listen for three distinct sounds.

4. 2 things you can smell – If nothing is nearby, recall familiar comforting scents.

5. 1 thing you can taste – Sip a drink, chew gum, or focus on the taste in your mouth.

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This technique activates the sensory cortex, interrupting the brain's stress response and helping to reorient your awareness to your environment.

2. Cognitive Grounding: Describe Your Environment

When your thoughts are racing, narrating your surroundings out loud or mentally can help slow your mind down. This is a cognitive grounding strategy that works by using logic and observation to override emotional overwhelm.

Try this:

• “I’m sitting on a grey couch. The room is quiet except for the ticking of the clock. I see a plant in the corner and a lamp next to the window.”

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) often uses similar methods to redirect attention and challenge catastrophic thinking. According to the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, describing your environment helps break the “fight-or-flight” loop by anchoring you in a safe context.

3. Use Cold Water or Ice for Physical Reset

Sensory grounding using temperature shifts—like splashing your face with cold water or holding ice—can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and quickly reduce physiological symptoms of panic.

Dr. Marsha Linehan, creator of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), recommends this technique in the “TIP” skills set (Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Progressive relaxation) as a way to regulate intense emotions.

Ideas to try:

• Hold an ice cube and focus on the sensation

• Splash cold water on your face or run wrists under cold water

• Place a cold compress on the back of your neck

  
  

These techniques mimic the dive reflex, which slows heart rate and can help you feel physically calmer in a short amount of time.

4. Body Awareness and Grounding Through Movement

Physical grounding involves noticing the connection between your body and the earth. Movement-based strategies can restore a sense of embodiment—especially important if you experience dissociation or feel “out of body.”

Simple physical grounding options:

• Press your feet firmly into the ground and notice the sensation

• Do gentle stretches or yoga poses while focusing on breath

• Clench and release fists or other muscles to bring awareness to your body

  
  

A 2019 study published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise showed that intentional movement combined with body scanning improved mood and reduced stress in participants after just 10 minutes.

5. Guided Journaling or Affirmations

When you’re emotionally overwhelmed, your inner critic can become louder. Using guided journaling prompts or self-soothing affirmations helps shift your focus from fear to self-compassion.

Examples:

• “Right now, I feel overwhelmed, but I am safe.”

• “This feeling is temporary. I can handle this moment.”

• “I don’t need to have everything figured out to be okay.”

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Journaling about what you’re experiencing—without judgment—activates the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for decision-making and emotional control. According to research in the Journal of Affective Disorders, expressive writing reduces stress and improves cognitive functioning. For more information on the power of journaling, please click here or for a guide on effective journal writing, click here.

When to Use Grounding Techniques

Grounding strategies are most effective when:

• You feel anxiety building and need a quick reset

• You're experiencing a panic attack, emotional flooding, or dissociation

• You're preparing for or recovering from a triggering event

  
  

Therapists often integrate grounding into treatment plans for trauma, anxiety disorders, BPD, and OCD. While grounding is not a substitute for professional therapy, it’s an empowering tool you can use anytime, anywhere.

Final Thoughts: Grounding is a Lifeline, Not a Cure

Grounding techniques offer simple, powerful ways to manage emotional distress in the moment. They’re tools—not cures—but when practiced regularly, they can reduce anxiety, improve focus, and help you feel more in control.

If you find that overwhelming emotions are interfering with your daily life, consider working with a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist. Therapy can provide deeper strategies for healing and help you explore the roots of what’s causing the overwhelm in the first place.

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