Feeling Overwhelmed? Create Your Own Grounding Toolkit
When stress or anxiety shows up, it often feels like being pulled out of the present moment. Your thoughts race ahead to “what if,” your body tenses, and your focus disappears. Or you can feel pulled back in time, this is especially true if you’ve experienced trauma. It can feel like you’re back in the traumatic situation even if it happened many years ago.
Grounding techniques can help you to reconnect to the here and now by using your senses, your breath, or your body to anchor yourself in the present moment. Often in the present you are actually OK and safe, grounding can help you to reconnect with this.
Why Grounding Helps with Stress and Anxiety
When we experience anxiety or overwhelm, our nervous system often reacts with a fight-or-flight response. Grounding can interrupt this response by signaling to the brain that things are safe here in the present moment.
Grounding can:
Calm physical symptoms like a racing heart or shallow breathing.
Slow down spiraling thoughts and bring your mind back to the present.
Create space to respond with choice instead of pure reaction.
Think of it like putting both feet back on the ground after feeling swept off balance. Even a 30-second grounding exercise can reset the system enough to feel more in control.
Core Elements of a Grounding Toolkit
Your toolkit doesn’t need to be complicated. Experiment with various grounding exercises and see which ones work best for you. Here are four categories to consider:
5-Senses Techniques
Engaging your senses is one of the fastest ways to reconnect to the present.
The 5–4–3–2–1 method
Use your senses to bring you back into the present. Name five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste.
Temperature shift
Temperature changes can help ground you and regulate your nervous system. Hold an ice cube or splash cold water on your face. A cool (or cold!) shower can also help. The sudden physical sensation pulls your attention back to the present.
Sound anchor
Using your attention to really focus on a specific sense is also grounding. A simple grounding technique using your hearing is to play a favorite song and focus only on the lyrics or the beat.
Breathing Practices
Your breath is a built-in grounding tool you always carry. Try these techniques for several breathing cycles to see if you notice a shift in your nervous system.
Box breathing
Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
Extended exhale
Inhale for 4, exhale for 6 or 7. This activates the parasympathetic system, the part of your nervous system that indicates that danger has passed. You can also imagine blowing though a straw slowly or blowing out birthday candles.
Counting breaths
Pick a number (like 10) and count down each exhale until you reach 1. Focus on the breath moving in and out of your body.
Movement-Based Tools
Grounding doesn’t always mean stillness. Sometimes the best reset comes from moving your body.
Walking grounding
Take a slow walk, noticing the feel of your feet with each step. Pay attention to the muscles involved in walking, how your joints move, the shift in weight, etc. Imagine this is your first time walking, what do you notice?
Stretch + name
Do a gentle stretch and say aloud what part of your body you’re moving: “Lifting arms, lowering arms.” Notice how your body feels before and after stretching.
Shake it out
Animals do this and humans can too. Shake your hands, arms, and shoulders to release pent-up energy.
Object-Based Grounding (stones, scents, textures)
Physical objects can serve as grounding anchors. They allow you to engage your senses which can bring you back to the present.
Touch stones or fidget spinners
Smooth stones, beads, or textured fabric give your hands something tangible to focus on. Bring your attention to the sensation in your fingers and what is registering as you touch these objects.
Scents
Essential oils, candles, or even a familiar hand lotion can anchor you through smell. Bring the scent up to your nose and give yourself time to notice and savor it. What do you detect in the scent?
Weighted items
A small weighted blanket or lap pad can provide calming pressure to your body and help you feel soothed.
How to Personalize Your Toolkit
A grounding toolkit is most powerful when it’s your own.
Experiment
Try a few techniques and notice which ones actually shift your state. You may notice some work better than others.
Combine
Pair a sensory tool (like a stone) with a breathing practice for a stronger effect.
Prepare
Keep small items (gum, lotion, beads) in a bag or desk drawer so they’re available when you need them.
Rotate
What works one day may not land the next. Having 5–6 options keeps your toolkit flexible.
When to Use Grounding vs. Coping
It’s helpful to distinguish between grounding and coping. Grounding is about moving into the present. It’s a quick reset that helps when you’re overwhelmed, dissociating, or lost in anxious thoughts. Coping is about working through challenges. It might involve problem-solving, setting boundaries, or talking with a friend. Coping often involves employing various skills to help you handle a situation more effectively.
Think of grounding as the first step: once you’re calmer, coping strategies become easier to access. Without grounding, coping often feels impossible because your nervous system is still in alarm mode.
Grounding doesn’t erase stress or anxiety. But it gives you a foothold: a way to pause, steady yourself, and remember that you can choose your next step.
When you create your own grounding toolkit, you’re not just collecting techniques. You’re building a personal safety net you can carry into daily life.