Many people in the United States struggle with anxiety, either situational anxiety triggered by certain events or circumstances or generalized anxiety disorder. If you’re seeking help on how to deal with anxiety, you aren’t alone. A little over 7% of adults in the United States suffer from situational anxiety disorder (SAD), but luckily, this mental illness is treatable with behavioral modifications, therapy, and medications.
Many people find grounding exercises beneficial coping skills for anxiety. If you’re interested in techniques to calm your mind and still your racing thoughts, keep reading to learn how to get started.
Why You May Want to Seek a Calmer Mind
Anxiety doesn’t just cause people to feel nervous in certain situations. The long-term effects of chronic anxiety and stress can be physically damaging, too. Many people with untreated anxiety develop ulcers, high blood pressure/hypertension, and even diabetes. You may see your physical health improve when you learn how to calm anxiety.
Your physical health isn’t the only part of your life that suffers because of anxiety. If your thoughts constantly race, you may have difficulty concentrating on school studies or important work projects. Your grades could suffer if you’re in school, or your work performance may drop. Anxiety could put your career in jeopardy.
A final effect of anxiety on your life is your quality of life. Are you missing out on meeting new people or trying new experiences because of anxiety? Have your relationships suffered because of anxious symptoms? There are multiple reasons to pursue grounding techniques.
The Benefits of Calming Your Mind
Perhaps the greatest benefit of reducing anxiety is calming yourself and reducing the pressure you may feel inside. Your mental health is important; when that improves, other parts of your life also improve.
Once you master how to ground yourself, you can use these techniques when new challenges arise. Maybe you’re starting a new job — the grounding techniques you learn can help calm first-day jitters so you can engage more fully in your new position. Or maybe you want to try a new hobby. Reducing your anxiety can give you the confidence to learn a new skill and meet fellow hobbyists.
Your physical health may also improve as you treat your anxiety. Many of the physical problems mentioned above can be healed or reversed with less anxiety, even Type 2 diabetes.
Different Techniques for Achieving Inner Peace
So, we know there are many benefits to achieving inner peace and calming your thoughts, but how do you get started? Trying to focus on calming yourself may increase your anxiety — you may worry that you aren’t doing it right, which can make you even more anxious!
You may benefit from seeking professional help to learn behavioral techniques for calming your mind, like engaging in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Some of these soothing techniques can help you when your anxious symptoms spike.
Mental Grounding Techniques
Mental grounding helps focus your mind when your anxiety flares or you have a panic attack. You can practice some of these techniques when you aren’t anxious so they come more naturally during an anxious episode.
- Use your senses to describe your immediate environment.
- Name things in different categories, like animals, fruits, etc.
- Describe a normal chore or activity in detail. Talk yourself through each step, like cooking a meal or doing the dishes.
- Try to think of something funny, like a dancing bear, or look at funny videos online.
- Imaging yourself somewhere else, like the beach or mountains, or somewhere you feel at peace.
- Try counting or reciting the alphabet.
Physical Grounding Techniques
Physical grounding techniques can help, too, like some of these techniques:
- Running warm or cool water over your face and hands
- Grabbing a pillow or something soft and transferring what you’re feeling into the object
- Focusing on each part of your body, wiggling your fingers or feeling the weight of your legs on a chair
- Touching different things around you, exploring the differences in materials and feelings
- Stretching, extending your arms, rolling your neck, or flexing your fingers
- Focusing on breathing, exhaling and inhaling for four counts each, holding your breath in between each inhale and exhale
Soothing Grounding Techniques
When you use soothing grounding techniques, you focus on talking to yourself with love and kindness. We’re often our own worst critics; these techniques help you become your own cheerleader.
- Tell yourself something kind.
- Think of some of your favorite things, like a favorite meal, drink, or dessert.
- Look at photos of your family and other loved ones.
- Write down inspiring quotes that resonate with you.
- Treat yourself to something nice, like a bubble bath, a piece of gourmet chocolate, or a fancy nonalcoholic drink.
Your Mental Health Matters
If you’ve come here looking for ways to calm and treat anxiety, you’re in the right place. Mental Health Hotline partners with reputable mental health care providers nationwide to get you the help you need. Reach out — there’s someone here for you 24 hours a day.