Calming Anxiety, Banishing Fear – Grounding Techniques and More

As a sufferer of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety is expected. The PTSD began shortly after a car wreck when I was 13, which left me life flight-ed and in the critical care unit with head trauma.

Since, I’ve had reoccurring nightmares, and random triggers will make my heart race – for instance, fast corners on roller coasters make me want to pass out. There has also been reoccurring “night terrors” where a small sound or made up movement will send me on a downward spiral of anxiety and literally paralyzing dreams.

The techniques I use to calm myself in these moments of extreme upset – for PTSD is when the limbic system, our fight or flight center, goes into overdrive, choosing to increase our upset at the perceived danger, by inducing physical signals of danger (sweating, racing heart, etc) – these techniques are also ones I use when simply anxious or nervous. Interviews, exams or uncomfortable situations all become more bearable with the following techniques.

Grounding Method

This method I would like to highlight because of its potency in extremely anxious moments. After attending some counseling to help my anxiety, I was recommended this, and found it highly useful.

The idea behind grounding is to take you out of whatever traumatic moment you are remembering. I have found it also helpful when anticipating something such as an exam or an interview. It is a very meditative thing to do, and below is the full exercise I do, though you can easily shorten it to your needs. It’s key to breath deep, and place yourself mentally in the “present.” Much anxiety or upset is from past or perceived future upset, and this method is based around taking the mind away from those moments.

How to do it: Find a chair that allows your feet to touch the ground fully, so toes and heels all hit. Look around the room, and say aloud, or mentally, 5 -10 objects you see. Notice the details of them. Name their colors. (example: the yellow, wicker chair) Breath deeply, then listen and list 5-10 sounds. Identify their sources if you can, even if it’s just the wind. Now, feel whatever it is you are touching. Feel the chair – name how the fabric feels. Press your feet to the ground, feel like you are lodged in it, as if your feet are roots. Think specifically of where the chair is touching your thighs, butt, arms and hands. Lean back and pet the fabric, still feeling the chair and looking around. Feel in the moment.

Textured Security Item

This sounds vague, but it is literally what it means. I have a stuffed animal that has highly textured fur (soft on the body, rough on the nose and feet), a stiff ribbon with a silk center, bead eyes, and is squishy to hug.

It seems childish, but if I am truly anxious, I will take this stuffed animal, and I will simply feel all the different textures. This is convenient for nighttime upsets, because I do not have to see it exactly.

This also works for small objects. I use interesting stones, patterned blankets and other nearby items to calm racing thoughts.

The reason this works is it gives somewhere to focus my attention. Sensations on my skin seem to bring me out of the fear best so textured items give something to feel.

Allow Yourself to Explore the Fear

Whenever I wake in the middle of the night feeling out of sorts, and my other calming methods aren’t working, I get up and allow myself to physically see how secure I am.

I check locked doors, see the window is closed, and the fire alarm on the wall. I will sit and think to myself, if something were to happen, how would I get out? What would I do?

Then I think of how improbable that something from my dreams will happen – a robber getting into my 4^th floor apartment, a fire starting in my off oven, floods, tornados – how these unlikely. Then – MOST IMPORTANTLY – I will attempt my other techniques again.

The purpose of this security check is just to give my conscious mind a grasp of how secure I truly am. It is NOT to calm me. Checking on things will sometimes increase my anxiety, but it seems to speed up my other techniques, and allow me to calm down faster.

All these things are for extreme anxiety – other things I know helps is avoiding caffeine 5 hours before bed time, not eating 2 hours before bed and turning off all off all of my electronics 20 minutes minimum before I try to sleep.

These are just recommendations – if you have severe PTSD or anxiety, it’s important to go to a doctor to get further advice. Overall though, these self-help techniques have been amazing for my mental and emotional health.