Subscribe EXPLORE MORE IN ANXIETY 30 Grounding Techniques to Quiet Distressing Thoughts Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, ACSW, RDDP — Written by Crystal Raypole — Updated on February 20, 2025 Physical techniques Mental techniques Soothing techniques How do they work? Bonus tips FAQ Key Takeaways Grounding exercises help you refocus on the present to relieve feelings of anxiety, stress, depression, or PTSD. Physical grounding techniques use your five senses to help you move through distress by focusing on tangible objects and sensations. For example, holding an ice cube or tasting something spicy. Mental grounding techniques distract you from distressing feelings by redirecting your thoughts back to the present through memory games, categories, or reciting something Grounding techniques are exercises that may help you refocus on the present moment to distract yourself from anxious feelings. You can use grounding techniques to help create space from distressing feelings in ...
What is a chapter of your life you would title " The Hard Years " - and what got you through it? I would say from 1986 through 1996 the hardest years of my life because I have been going from one place to another because I graduated from high school 🏫 and college as well as joining the military for a short period of time. This was also a period of my life when I was battling active addiction as well as going from relationship to relationship with women who were battling active addiction issues themselves . Honestly, I was making bad choices by dwelling in darkness just to establish a human relationship with the opposite sex. I was moving back and forth from Dayton, Ohio, to Toledo , Oh io just to make changes in my life by working job to job as well as achieving my personal goals by graduating from college twice at the University of Toledo. Afterwards, I had to move back to Dayton, Ohio, because of a misunderstanding with my landlord simply because he increase...