It’s hard to choose healing activities if our minds are running all over the place, if our hearts are hurting, if our spirit is tired, or if our bodies are screaming with pain, agitation, or fear. Since our minds, hearts, bodies and spirits are all connected, we can sometimes improve the state of one by addressing the states of the others. Grounding techniques help bring our mind, heart, body and spirit out of obsessive (repetitive) thoughts about the past or future, out of memories from the past we can’t get over, out of dysregulated or “freaking out” states, and into the “here and now”.
Below are 32 of my favorite grounding techniques for you to try. The more you practice your favorite five techniques when you’re not in crisis mode (panic, anxiety, fear, intense anger, deep depression), the easier it will be for you to get the benefit of them when you are in crisis-mode.
Pro-tip: These are also a great way to quiet yourself before you pray. You will be able to hear God more clearly because you will have less static in your head.
P.S. I compiled some of these from another blogger but I cannot currently figure out where; it’s been so long! If you find out, please comment with the URL so I can give them credit.
Grounding Your Body
Your body is your outer, physical-man—the part of you that is begotten and can beget others.
- Breathe slowly and steadily from your core. Notice the sensations of your breath moving into and out of your body, right now. Imagine exhaling letting fear and worry go with each breath and sending into the body of Jesus on the Cross.
- Trace your hands against the physical outline of your body. Slowly experience your own presence in the world.
- Move your body. Wiggle your fingers, tap your feet. Pay attention to the movement. You are in control of what your body is doing, right here and now.
- Eat or drink something. Is it hot, or cold? Sweet, or sour?
- Smile at yourself in the mirror, even if that’s the last thing you feel like doing. How does that feel? What can you see?
- Take a shower or bath. Notice the sensations of the water. Add a cup of Epsom salts and a cup of baking soda to draw toxins out of your body. Add 10 drops of organic lavender essential oil (or another scent that is calming to you) and breathe the scent in deeply and slowly.
- Exercise. Jump up and down on the spot, try some gentle yoga, take a long walk, or ride a bike.
- Laugh, even if it’s hard. Watch a funny movie, read some jokes, or enjoy a clean comedy act (I like Dry Bar Comedy). Just the act of laughing about something, anything can break that spinning out of control feeling.
- Touch objects around you with one finger, noticing the sensations of different surfaces and textures. Is it hard or soft? Cold or hot? Rough or smooth?
- Hug yourself while rocking back and forth and singing your favorite, soothing children’s song.
Grounding Your Heart
Your heart is the collection of your subconscious thoughts that ride as electrical waves through your brain. It is one half of your soul and includes core beliefs, emotional memories, fight-flight-freeze-or-fawn signals, and dissociated parts (the result of trauma).
- Phone a friend. Have a chat that is 75% full of gratefulness for what’s working in the present and hope for the future.
- Train your thoughts. Watch calming videos of nature or listen to relaxing music to help settle down.
- Write a letter. Write somebody you care about a letter and reflect on the good times you had and closeness you have.
- Surround yourself with safety. Imagine yourself in a familiar, comfortable, safe place. Feel the safety. Know it.
- Receive comfort. Hold onto something comforting, maybe a blanket or an old stuffed toy.
- Desensitize to triggers. When you’re not too stressed, make a list of the things that provoke your anxiety. Take it to your therapist and ask him or her to help you find ways to desensitize you to some of those things or create ways to work around them. Then those triggers won’t be quite so powerful, and your anxiety coping skills will work better.
- List five really positive things in your life. Put the list where you’ll see it and remember that there’s more to the world than just panic and fear.
- Think about the last week. Was there a day you didn’t have so much anxiety? Remember how it felt to be less anxious than you are right now. What was different? What can change?
- Reflect on love. Meditate on a vision of God smiling at you, or people who are kind to you smiling at you; feel their love shining into you like sunshine. If you haven’t experienced this in real life, imagine what it might be like. Keep that vision in your mind as long as possible.
- Assemble your team. Write a list of all the people in your life who love you or can help you as well as their contact information. Put the list where you’ll see it when you feel anxious and reach out to them in a rotation or based on a specific topic for help.
Grounding Your Mind
Your mind is the collection of conscious thoughts that ride on the railways of your brain. It is the other half of your soul, and includes opinions (about God, yourself, others, the world), perspectives, agreements, your will, and logic.
- Remember it’s today. Bring up today’s newspaper on the web, notice the date. Read something fun!
- Meditate on God’s promises. Write down a list of all God has promised to those who love him/her. Read it out loud. Then, write down a list of all God has promised you personally. Visualize what they look like in your mind.
- Use your voice. Say your name or pick up the Bible and read the Psalms of praise out loud.
- Bring yourself to your present. Write or speak out loud what’s going on all around you right now. Notice the tiniest sensations, movements of your body, the angle of the sun. Keep writing until you notice it’s making a difference.
- Take a look outside. Count the number of trees and street signs in the place you are, right now.
- Make a list of the furniture in your home and what room it’s in. Give the list to a friend you can call to help you focus on what’s now and safe.
- Memorize healing scripture. Choose scripture about how valuable, courageous, powerful and capable God made you—recite them out loud, while staring at yourself in the mirror. Or you can listen to Victory Over the Darkness on audiobook.
- Declare you are healed. Say out loud that you are what you want to be. Try “I am healed, I am at peace, I am full of joy, I feel safe.” Even though it’s counterintuitive, this can reprogram your brain to start acting that way.
Grounding Your Spirit
Your human spirit is your inner Spirit-man, which comes from God to animate your body. It is the seat of your identity, mission, and spiritual gifts.
- God in the Hallway. Imagine that you are standing in a hallway of doors, one for each struggle. Ask God for help closing all the doors except the one at the end of the hallway, which leads to meeting with God face to face. After you close all the other doors, walk through the door.
- God in the House. Imagine that you’re standing inside a house, that represents your life. Open the front door to the Holy Spirit and invite her inside. Ask her to take over every single room, which represents every area of your life. Ask her to highlight which rooms are filled with light and which are dark. Ask her to tell you what God loves in each room. Ask her to bring light into dark rooms. Repeat with Yeshua and our Heavenly Father, too.
- God’s Armor. Imagine that God is showing you your human spirit, its spiritual armor, and its throne next to Yeshua. Notice the details and write down why you wear, carry or sit on the items you do.
- God in the Secret Place. Imagine God is taking you to the most beautiful place in the world, real or imagined. Notice the scenery. Ask God to meet you there and spend time with you. Ask God to hug you and let you cry or yell out your bottled up emotions.
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