Grounding techniques
Grounding techniques can help you feel more connected to the present.
They might help you cope with intrusive thoughts or difficult feelings, memories and flashbacks.
Gratitude can help us to celebrate the present and be an active participant in our own lives.
Valuing and appreciating people around us, ourselves, situations and circumstances, can help to focus the mind on what we already have rather than something that’s absent and needed.
Sources: Robert Emmons & adapted from: www.academicwritingsuccess.com/15-fabulous-gratitude-writing-prompts.
Your favourite moment recently.
Something beautiful you saw recently.
A random act of kindness from another person.
Something that cheers you up when you're feeling down.
A favourite hobby.
Something you enjoyed watching or listening to.
Something small you achieved today, and how you feel now.
Something someone else did to make you happy.
Something you did to make someone happy.
An animal you know and what makes them special.
When you're stressed your muscles can become tight and tense. This exercise helps you notice tension in your body and relax your muscles.
Lie down or sit with your back straight and your feet on the floor. Close your eyes or focus on a spot in the distance.
Start by clenching your toes as much as you can for a few seconds then releasing them. Notice the difference between the two feelings.
Match this to your breathing. Tense your muscles as you take a deep breath in, and relax as you breathe out.
Move up your body to your thighs, your stomach and all the way to your shoulders and hands, clenching and relaxing each muscle in turn. Take time to notice any parts of your body that feel tense, tight or tired. You can repeat if you still feel tense.
Take a moment to relax, then slowly and gently begin to move. When you feel ready, you can stand up slowly.
Source: www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/relaxation/relaxation-exercises
The 5-4-3-2-1 method has been found to help engage your 5 senses to calm feelings of anxiety.
The idea is that it can help you to shift your focus to what’s currently happening around you instead of what’s making you feel anxious.
Look around you and focus on:
5 things you can see.
4 things you can feel.
3 things you can hear.
2 things you can smell.
1 thing you can taste.
Source: PscyhCentral.com
P.O.W.E.R is a useful tool to help manage your reaction to events and situations.
Using this acronym provides a space to reflect on what is happening at a moment in time. It can help you decide what is the most helpful way to respond. This may be different to your initial reaction was to the situation.
It can provide time for your body and mind to calm and assess what is happening in a more objective way.
Pause your thought process.
Observe your breathing. Allow your thoughts and feelings to exist without reacting to them.
Weigh up the options. If you were an outside observer, what reaction would you suggest?
Experience the recommended solution and try it out in a small way to begin with.
Review whether your small step worked? What was most helpful? What would you do next time?
Source: Taken from the MENTOR 2 booklet developed and trialled as part of the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP)
NO.T.I.C.E. is a helpful technique to pause and notice how you are feeling.
It takes you through some questions to help you to take note of what may be causing the anxiety/feelings of being overwhelmed.
Notice you're experiencing stress or anxiety and pause.
Only focus on your breathing for a few moments.
Try to observe your thoughts and feelings. How are they impacting your body?
Is it possible to zoom out and see the situation from an outside observer's perspective?
Can you respond to this situation in a different way? What could you do?
Erase the anxiety by following the steps of N.O.T.I.C.E.
This 90 second stress scan can help to recognise your stress signature, the way your body feels when it is under stress.
Learning how to recognise your stress signature, can be the first step to managing stress.
Practicing mindfulness can be an effective way to move your focus to the present moment and away from other thoughts. Active mindfulness can be useful for those who find traditional methods such as meditation and yoga difficult. You can do it whilst walking, gardening or any other activity.
See
What do you notice about the things around you? Are there any colours that stand out, or textures that look interesting?
Smell
What can you smell as you move about your activity? Are there changes? How would you describe those smells?
Touch
How do the things you’re handling feel? Or even the air on your skin? What are the textures of the things around you?
Hear
Can you identify the layers of sound around you? How do these change as you go about your activity?
Many people find practising mindfulness helps them manage their day-to-day wellbeing. But it doesn't always work for everyone.
