5 grounding techniques for when you feel like you are spiraling

Can you relate to your mind just taking over and overwhelming you sometimes?

It is not uncommon in therapy to hear people share about how their thoughts will simply spiral. When this gets overwhelming, it can be exceptionally difficult to challenge or think your way out of it. This is where grounding techniques come in. A grounding technique is a simple, practical exercise that you can think of as a tool to help slow down your mind and body when your brain is seemingly out of control.

Here are some of my favorites that I like to share with clients.

1) The 5 senses grounding technique. This one is a classic for a reason. It involves all 5 of your senses. I tell my clients to take at least 60 seconds (though ideally more) for each of the following. Take in 5 different things to look at. I.e objects or places around you and focus exclusively on what you are looking at. Then 4 things to touch/feel. You then want to find 3 distinct sounds around you, or I will often suggest listening through 3 complete songs. Next, is 2 things to smell. This is a good opportunity to go to your spice rack or kitchen and find something with a unique smell. If you are not home, you will find that virtually anything has a smell. i.e paper, your car etc etc. For 1; it is focusing on the sense of taste. I have some clients who keep candy or gum with them at all time to assist in completing this grounding technique. The idea is to focus solely on the taste/flavor of what you are eating.

2) The categories game. Think of a category. This could be cars, NBA team, cereal brands or anything. The idea is, you stop your mind from racing by thinking about as many examples of that category as you can, i.e for cars you would think Honda, Toyota, Subaru etc. Go until you can’t think of anymore.

3) Progressive muscle relaxation. Work your way up from your toes, feet, legs, knees, etc al the way through your arms, fingers, tows and hand. Flexing and relaxing each part of your body. There is no hard rule on how to do this but the idea is you ground yourself by focusing on the physical sensation of the flex and release of the different parts of your body

4) Deep breathing. Inhale through your nose until your lungs feel pretty much completely full. Do this slowly. From there, take a quick sharp, “overflow” inhale through your nose. Then slowly release through your mouth. Do this 4-10 times.

5) Narrate the moment. Simply narrate what is going on around you objectively. If you are at work, sitting at your office chair with your mind racing. Pause and state “i am sitting in a chair, in a room. There is a roof over my head, a computer in front of me etc. Simply state what is happening around you. This helps shut down any unhelpful or overwhelming narratives that are not subjective.

If mind racing is something you struggle with, therapy with Philadelphia therapist Noam Dinovitz can help!

Noam can be reached at 484 424 7722 or Noam@Dinovitzcounseling.com