7 Grounding Practices to Help Manage Anxiety
We all experience some form of anxiety occasionally. And it’s important to know that anxiety is often activated to support the body’s response to various signals—a way to protect against perceived danger or stressors. Anxiety can be a normal response, however, when it becomes consuming mentally or physically, that’s when it might be time to consider how to manage it.
In this blog, we’ll explore how anxiety might show up along with a handful of grounding strategies that can help relieve the experience of anxiety. But first, we’ll explore some signs that anxiety may be significantly impacting you and you may need to regulate your nervous system.
A Few Signs That May Signal Anxiety Is Impacting Your Nervous System
When experiencing anxiety, the mind and body can feel as if it’s buzzing with energy. There may even be a challenge to regulate and feel calm and centered. Here are some signals that may indicate your anxiety is taking over and activating your nervous system.
Irregular or dysregulated breathing
Feeling as if your heart is racing
Sweaty or shaking palms
Insomnia or trouble staying asleep
Rumination on anxious thoughts or experiences
The Value of Grounding Techniques for Anxiety
Grounding ourselves is one powerful coping strategy to keep in our toolkit for anxiety. When we’re anxious, our nervous system may jump into a fight, flight, or freeze response, and grounding exercises can help signal to our mind and body that we’re safe and not in immediate danger.
7 Grounding Exercises That Can Help Symptoms of Anxiety
Engage the senses: For example, you could ask yourself, What color is the blanket next to you? Can you smell the coffee? What does it taste like?
4-7-8 breathing: Try this breathing exercise to help be more mindful and present. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale through the mouth for 8 full seconds.
Mindful Movement: Turning to look over the shoulder until hips engage, holding for 5 seconds, and doing the same on the other side.
Earthing: Walk around in the grass or dirt, even barefoot if possible—this can activate your senses as you ground your body in the earth beneath you, supporting a sense of calm.
Intentionally Eating: Eat a small snack or meal with slow and intentional bites. When we are eating it signals your body that you're safe enough/not in imminent danger.
Sensory support: For some, sensory tools can be incredibly powerful for managing anxiety. For example, the pressure of a weighted blanket may help relieve the chaotic energy that can come with anxiety.
Walking: Going for even a 5-minute walk (outside if possible) can be grounding and help you to bring back a sense of presence. Fresh air doesn’t hurt either!
When Should I Seek Support for Anxiety?
This is an important question to consider. But from our perspective, it’s never too early to speak to someone about anxiety or anything else that might be impacting your mental health and peace of mind. Even simply voicing your concerns or sharing your experiences with a trusted friend can be a good first step. If anxiety feels unmanageable, overwhelming, or preventing you from staying grounded often, it may be a good time to reach out to a licensed counselor.
Our Approach to Working With Anxiety
At our holistic practice in Los Angeles, we work with our clients to create coping strategies for anxiety. In addition to those tools, we also explore the underlying messages or experiences that may be causing the anxiety—i.e. like work stress, relationship issues, conflict with a friend, childhood experiences or identity issues.
It’s important to understand that anxiety doesn’t just impact us mentally, but physically and spiritually. So the holistic treatment for anxiety should address every part of you—mind, body, and soul. We believe that your whole being has a role to play in your anxiety, so we treat it all.
Work With a Holistic Anxiety Therapist in Los Angeles
Finding the right therapist can take time. And, we believe it’s important to find the right fit. That’s why we offer free 15-minute phone consultations with our holistic anxiety therapists—so you have the opportunity to connect with them and ask any and all questions you may have.
Schedule a call with our Care Coordinator to get connected today or submit a contact form to learn more about next steps.