There are many ways to ground when you’re triggered, and everyone will have their solutions, which will look different for each individual. Here we will give you a few places to start in different “genres” of grounding strategies.

Keep in mind that not every technique will work for everyone. If you get frustrated when you hear people talk about grounding and calming techniques because they never work for you, there’s nothing wrong with you. Those strategies – while wonderful for many – aren’t the right ones for you, and you may simply need different techniques to help you when you’re triggered.

Active Techniques (Focus, Distraction, Logic)

These are often the “less talked about” grounding strategies. That doesn’t make them any less valid or helpful in a crisis. Sometimes, they may be ideal for your first line of defense, and then, once you’ve gotten through the beginning of the crisis and made sure you’re not going into a panic attack, you can move on to one of the calming grounding techniques.

Problem-Solving

If your situation involves a problem that can be solved, break it down into small and manageable steps. Make a plan to address each one. It can be difficult to focus in this way when you’re triggered and not become overwhelmed and catastrophic, but it’s important to remember that you have power and can take action to do what you need to do to protect yourself. Taking steps to resolve this trigger can also go a long way toward making you feel like you’re actively working toward a solution and doing something good for yourself.

Write a Log About What You’re Experiencing

We used the word “writing” instead of “journaling” because people often see the word “journaling”, roll their eyes, and move on because they hear it so frequently as a grounding and mental health suggestion.

Write about precisely what triggered you, how it triggered you, what your reaction is in your body and how you’re feeling, what you’ve done about it so far, what you’re thinking about doing to try to help it get better, and what you could do in the future to mitigate this trigger from affecting you so intensely.

This kind of writing can be very helpful in tracking your progress with specific triggers over time, and it can also help you feel productive while you’re in a triggered space and give you something to focus on. Feeling like you’re doing something “good” or “right”-like you’re essentially doing your therapy homework-when you’re in a triggered space, and focusing on your body and those individual details rather than being overwhelmed by the overarching “feeling” may help ground you.

Reframe the Perspective

If possible, do what you can to change your perspective. Consider whether this trigger has come up in the past and how it affected you then versus how it affects you now and how you’ve grown. While you may be triggered now, consider that it’s simply a reaction to a stimulus and not an actual physical danger. If you were in danger in the past, you’re not in danger now. Think about how your situation has improved and how you’ve already done the work of healing and are on a path of progress.

Grounding Techniques (Calming, Mindfulness)

Smells

Fragrance can be an excellent way to ground yourself and an incredibly convenient tool to carry with you. Carrying an essential oil in your pocket or bag is simple and easy. Lighting incense or a scented candle can also help to calm your space. Combining scent with taste can also be very helpful. For example, you could open a mandarin orange, smell the peel, and taste it.

Texture

Feeling different textures can help with grounding. Fuzzy things, bumpy things, scratchy things… All of these can help ground you back to your body and away from wherever your mind is going.

Temperature

Try placing an ice cube on your body to shock your system – if you don’t have access to ice, running your hands under cold water can also work.

Counting

Look around you for a repeating pattern. Find blinds over a window, tiles on a floor, or something similar. Start counting. See how far you can get before you lose count. If you lose count, start again. Keep going, test yourself, and make it a game to see how far you can get before you lose count. It will distract your brain and help you stay grounded.

54321 Technique

The 54321 technique combines several methods and asks you to identify the following:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

Repeat as needed.

Literally, Find the Ground

Take off your shoes, go somewhere where you can safely and comfortably get close to the physical earth, sink your body into the ground, and relax. Physically grounding yourself can have a surprisingly powerful effect on your body and help you find peace.