Grounding Skills

When we feel that things are getting difficult to manage and control, it is really useful to engage in a grounding skill. The list below is not extensive - it is designed to give you an idea of some of the things you can do to help take control of yourself again. 

Grounding strategies:
In case of flashback
Five senses grounding
Orienting questions
Activities using your senses
Activities using movement
​Activities using your brain
  • Tell yourself that you are having a flashback and are safe now
  • Remind yourself that the worst is over, and you survived it. What you're feeling now is just a reminder of that trauma and does not fit the present moment
  • Remind yourself of when and where you are, who you're
    currently with, and who you can contact if you need help
  • Breathe deeply and slowly. Count your breathes and make sure that you're getting enough air
  • Use other mental, sensory, and movement based grounding techniques in order to distract yourself, calm yourself, and reorient yourself within the present
  • If there is anyone who you can trust or who will support you, reach out to them, let them know what happened, and let them know what you need, what would be best for you, or what they could do to help
  • Be gentle with yourself and take the time to really recover
  • If possible, note or write down what triggered the flashback, what techniques you tried to use to disrupt the flashback, and what techniques helped
  • Remember that you're a survivor. You're strong, and you can make it through this, though it might take some time. Be patient with yourself throughout the process of healing
5 things you see
4 things you feel
3 things you hear
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste
​1. Where am I?
2. What is today?
3. What is the date?
4. What is the month?
5. What is the year?
6. How old am I?
7. What season is it?
  • Eat something, and describe to yourself the taste of the food in great detail
  • Feel the weight of your body in your chair or on the floor and the weight of your clothing on your skin
  • Keep a small object with you to touch or play with when you get triggered
  • Listen to soothing or familiar music. If possible, dance to it
  • Pick up a book and read the first paragraph out loud
  • Spray yourself with your favorite perfume and focus on the scent
  • Spritz your face (with eyes closed), neck, arms, and hands with a fine water mist
  • Touch and hold objects around you. Compare the feel, weight, temperature, textures, colors, and materials
  • ​Grab tightly onto your chair or press your feet against the ground as firmly as you can
  • Rub your palms and clap your hands or wiggle your toes within your socks. Pay attention to the physical sensation of doing so
  • Stretch out your arms or legs, roll your head on your neck, or clench and unclench your fists
  • Stomp your feet, walk around, run, jump, ride a bike, do star-jumps
  • Finger paint or draw anything that comes to mind without worrying about quality
  • Pop bubble wrap or blow and pop actual bubbles
  • Dig in the dirt or garden, jump on a pile of leaves, or splash around in puddles or mud
  • Rip up paper
  • Draw and color in some beautiful patterns
Words:
  • Pick a letter and list as many words as you can beginning with that letter
  • Pick a word or your name and see how many other or small words you can make from the letters in it
    Eg: Encourage, Fantastic, Wonderful
  • Describe an every day event or process in great detail, listing all of the steps in order and as thoroughly
    as possible (e.g. how to cook a meal, how to do your favorite dance)
Categories
  • Pick a category of objects and try to think of as many objects as possible that fit within that category (e.g., types of dogs, cities, types of trees, crayon colors, sports)
  • Pick a color and look for things of that color in the room
  • Play “A-Z”. Choose a topic and list one thing belonging to that topic for each letter of the alphabet.
    Eg: Space, Movies, Musicians, Animals, At the beach
Numbers:
  • Count backwards from 100 by 3s, 6s, or 7s or count up by prime numbers or perfect squares
  • Play "fizz-buzz" with yourself. Begin counting to 100 (or over!), but replace any number that contains the number 5 or is a multiple of 5 with the word "fizz" and any number that contains the number 7 or is a multiple of 7 with the word "buzz." For example, 1-15 would be "1, 2, 3, 4, fizz, 6, buzz, 8, 9, fizz, 11, 12, 13, buzz, fizz." 
  • Say or think the alphabet backwards or alternate letters and numbers (A1, B2, C3, D4, etc)
  • Breathe deeply and slowly and count your breath