Blog

When working with anxiety I believe it’s vital to teach approaches that target this emotion at a ‘bodily’ level. While anxiety is a vital and normal reaction we all feel at times (in fact, life would be down-right dangerous without it!), sometimes life can leave us overly sensitised, to the extent anxiety interferes with every-day living. If we think of emotions as starting in our bodies – physical reactions to external stimuli – then it makes sense to work with anxiety not just at a ‘cognitive’, thinking level, but also at a bodily, physical point. And this is where grounding exercises can be incredibly powerful tools to draw on when you get to that stage where anxiety feels overwhelming. One of my favourite techniques is ‘Grounding Body Awareness’ – this will help bring you into the ‘here and now’ when your anxiety has spun your mind into the future or past. Even doing just a few of the steps below can be helpful, and it might be useful to keep a copy of the exercise handy, e.g., saved on your phone – to use when it’s needed. One last tip; practise this exercise regularly, when not overly triggered, so you become familiar and comfortable with it and can use it more effectively at times of heightened emotion. • Take 5 long, deep breaths through your nose and breathe out through your lips. Try to make the out breath a little longer than the in (this signals to your nervous system that the ‘threat’ it has picked up is over, and helps your body return to a place of calm). • Put both feet on the floor. Wiggle your toes. Curl and uncurl your toes several times. Spend a moment noticing any sensations in your feet. • Stomp your feet. Focus on the sensations in your feet and legs as you do this. • Clench your hands into fists, then release. Repeat a few times. • Press palms together. Press hard and hold for 15 seconds. Pay attention to any feelings or sensations. • Rub palms together. Notice and feel the sensation of warmth this creates. • Stretch your hands over your head like you’re trying to reach the sky. Bring your arms down and relax them. • Take five more deep breaths, and notice the feeling of increased calm.