Grounding Techniques for Anxiety That Work When You’re On The Go

Today I’m covering five grounding techniques for anxiety that work when you’re on the go.

Anxiety doesn’t wait for the perfect moment to strike. You can just as easily struggle with anxiety wherever you are and whatever you are doing. If you are out and about and feeling anxious then you need to be able to quickly and discreetly interrupt those anxious thoughts and calm those anxious feelings.

It can appear when you’re commuting, in a meeting, at the shops, out with friends or just when walking the dog. And when anxiety hits, the unwanted thoughts and uncomfortable feelings can take over. Your heart races and your mind spirals. You feel uncomfortable, tense and uneasy. You may worry others will notice and you just want to get out of there as quickly as possible. You start to worry and feel anxious about the possibility that it may happen again.

When you start to feel anxious, you need grounding techniques for anxiety that are quick, discreet and effective. You want to be able to nip it in the bud and regain your calm without anyone noticing and without having to leave the situation.

The grounding techniques outlined below can help you to take back control over your thoughts and feelings quickly. You can calm your mind and body and bring your focus back to the present. These techniques, including the popular 3-3-3 rule for anxiety and the 5-4-3-2-1 method, can become part of how you manage your thoughts and feelings on the go.

 

5 Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

Grounding techniques can help you to manage your anxiety.

Anxiety lives in the future with all the imagined what ifs and imagined threats and worst case scenarios. You start to worry about these things and get all the uncomfortable physical feelings. Your mind starts to imagine even more vividly the possible catastrophes ahead. Anxiety starts to spiral.

Grounding brings you back to the reality of the present moment. You reconnect with how things are now, rather than all those unwanted future things. By using your senses, you signal to your brain to bring you back from the anxious response and that you are safe in the here and now. Putting your attention on what you can see, hear and feel right now, can stop the spiral of anxious thoughts. You equip yourself to interrupt anxiety and put yourself back in a calm state.

And because you know you’ll be able to quickly deal with any unwanted thoughts and feelings, you’ll find yourself feeling more confident and more capable. You’ll know you can handle it if anything should arise when you are out on the go.

So here are 5 portable grounding techniques for anxiety:

1. The 3-3-3 Rule

The 3-3-3 Rule is a quick and discreet way to interrupt anxiety and calm yourself in the present moment.

This is how to do it anywhere:

• Name three things you can see (e.g. a tree, car, something in a shop window)
• Name three things you can hear (e.g. traffic, bird song, clock ticking)
• Name three things you can feel (e.g. your feet on the pavement, the weight of your bag, the wind on your face)

You can do this anywhere, while waiting for a bus, in the car, walking along or even in a crowded room…anywhere!

By focusing on what is around you, you bring yourself back to the present and your nervous system gets a clear signal that you are here and safe.

There’s more on the 3-3-3 Rule For Anxiety here: 3-3-3 Rule For Anxiety

And in this video:

 

2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Method

The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique for anxiety requires a little more work to cover all the steps. I’d suggest practising it when out and about when you don’t really need it so that should you want to use it, you know it thoroughly. It can work well when out and about because there will be plenty in your environment to draw upon. It’s useful if your anxiety is a bit stronger and you need more sensory input to ground yourself.

Here’s how to do it discretely, describe, notice:

•  5 things you can see
• 4 things you can feel (e.g. touch your bag, phone keys or clothes)
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

If you struggle to notice the smells and taste then you can imagine it as this can work equally as effectively. If you want a shorthand version, you can describe ten specific sounds you can hear around you as this forces you to concentrate in the here and now and puts your focus outside your head (this is useful if driving etc where you need to be watching what you are doing).

There’s more on the 5-4-3-2-1 method for anxiety in this article: 5-4-3-2-1 Method for Anxiety

And in this video:

 

3. Deep Breathing Anchor

When you feel anxious, your breathing gets faster and shallower. When you are calm and relaxed, your breathing is slower and deeper. Controlled breathing is one of the easiest ways to calm anxiety when you are on the go. It links to how your body works. With a bit of practice, you can do this easily without anyone noticing.

How to do it:

• Place one hand on your chest (or just rest it naturally)
• Inhale slowly for a count of 4
• Hold for a count of 2
• Exhale gently for a count of 6
• Repeat for 3-5 cycles

Even a minute of slow, deliberate breathing can reduce the intensity of anxious feelings, calm your mind and leave you feeling more comfortable and composed. Better still, don’t just wait until you need it, start making this type of breathing a regular daily habit. You’ll feel calmer more of the time and be well versed in what to do should you need to call upon this grounding technique for anxiety.

You might also be interested in my Guided Self Hypnosis For Calm and Confidence article.

 

4. Grounding Object or Touch Point

Having a small object or focusing on a part of your body can work perfectly for grounding on the go. Place all of your concentration or focus upon it. Even better, do this exercise when you feel calm and relaxed to start to associate those feelings with the object or touch point.

Options:

• Hold your keys, phone, ring or a coin
• Press your thumb tightly to your forefinger
• Feel the texture, weight, temperature and shape

This grounding technique gives your brain a concrete sensory task to focus upon. You can also easily combine it with the strategies above. It can work perfectly when commuting, waiting in a queue or in other public situations.

You might also want to take a look at me everyday habits that could be fuelling anxiety article to see other things you can easily tweak and manage to support feeling calmer.

 

5. Mini Safe Place Visualisation

You don’t need to stop everything and close your eyes to use the power of your imagination. A brief visualisation can work well on the go. Your emotions feed off your imagination so this can help you to experience more calm.

How to do it on the go:

• Take a few slow breaths
• Picture/imagine/remember a place where you feel calm and safe. It could be your garden, a beach or somewhere else
• Imagine being there, seeing what you’d see and hearing what you’d hear. Notice as much detail around you as you can
• Specifically notice and describe one thing you can see, hear and feel in this place
• Breathe slowly for a few moments and imagine/tell yourself you are absorbing the calmness of this place

Even a minute can be enough to shift you from anxious tension to calm and comfort. Again, practice this a few times at home first so when you are on the go you can use this grounding technique quickly.

For a longer, guided version, take a look at my hypnosis downloads, including my free Rapid Relaxation hypnosis download.

 

Ready To Take Control Over Anxiety

These grounding techniques for anxiety can work well when you are on the go. They are simple, effective and easy to apply.

You can also bring all of these grounding techniques together for added effect. Start with a sensory method (3-3-3 or 5-4-3-2-1) to bring yourself into the present, then add some gentle deep breathing if your body feels tense. You can add in a grounding object or touch point to strengthen you focus and then finish with a brief, mini safe place visualisation.

With a bit of practice, these can all be done quickly and effectively when on the go. Practice also means that, even in busy places or public environments, you can easily access a sense of calm and regain control over your thoughts and feelings.

Grounding techniques for anxiety don’t need to be overly complicated or to take much time. These five techniques give you a portable toolkit, alongside other strategies you may know, for those moments when you are out and about and you start to feel anxious.

However, if your anxiety is persistent, overwhelming or difficult to deal with, hypnotherapy can help you to retrain your mind and body. You can redirect those thoughts, feelings and behaviours so that the end result is calmness and confidence, instead of anxiety.

There’s more on managing anxiety in Ely, Newmarket and Online here: How To Overcome Anxiety – 5 Steps To Regain Calm

And if you’d like to find out how hypnotherapy can help you to overcome anxiety, find relief and mange your thoughts and feelings in your every day life, then do get in touch. Call me on 01353 886158 and ask to book your free initial consultation.

 

To your health and happiness, 

Dan Regan

Help To Overcome Anxiety Ely, Newmarket and Online

 

Hypnotherapy for Anxiety: Anxiety

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