On the Tuesday of an ordinary week, I had a quiet panic attack in the frozen food aisle.
There wasn’t a clear trigger. No disaster. Just a rising tightness in my chest, the familiar dissociation fog creeping in, and that sinking feeling of not being entirely here. I gripped the shopping cart like a railing on a sinking ship. Somewhere in the back of my brain, a voice whispered: “Try grounding.”
So I did. Not in theory. Not on a wellness blog. In real life. In public.
Over the following month, I tested a dozen grounding techniques—some classic, some experimental—and ranked them based on what actually helped me come back to the moment.
This is not a definitive list. Brains are weird and bodies vary. But if you’ve ever felt untethered, anxious, or floating outside yourself, this might be a useful place to start.
Grounding is a self-regulation technique that brings your awareness back to the present moment—especially helpful when your nervous system is overwhelmed by anxiety, panic, flashbacks, or dissociation.
It’s rooted in sensory input and attention redirection. Instead of trying to “think your way out” of distress, grounding interrupts the spiral by anchoring you in the now: what you see, hear, feel, touch, taste.
“The goal of grounding isn’t to ‘fix’ the feeling,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Thema Bryant, “but to remind the body it’s safe, and the moment is manageable.”
Let’s be clear: this is my experience, filtered through trial, error, and a willingness to feel weird in public. For each technique, I note when and why it works—and when it might not.
Best for: Dissociation, spiraling thoughts, overwhelm
Rating: 10/10
It sounds simple, and it is. But it works. Especially when spoken out loud. It brings your senses online one by one, and shifts your focus away from your internal storm.
🗣 Pro tip: Say it slowly, even if you feel silly. Let your brain follow the list instead of the panic.
Best for: Racing thoughts, mild anxiety, social tension
Rating: 9/10
This is essentially mindfulness for real life. “Brown couch. Blue water bottle. Warm air on my face.” The goal is neutral description, not judgment.
It’s surprisingly regulating. Your brain switches from “what if” to “what is.”
Best for: Emotional flooding, intrusive thoughts, sensory reset
Rating: 9/10
Run cold water over your hands or hold an ice cube. The shock of the cold activates your vagus nerve and forces your brain to deal with sensation now. It disrupts spirals like a neurological slap in the face—without the violence.
🧊 Emergency-level effective. Less subtle, but deeply grounding.
Best for: Shallow breathing, tension, workplace anxiety
Rating: 8.5/10
Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Used by Navy SEALs and therapists alike, this technique regulates the nervous system and forces rhythm into panicked breathing. It doesn’t eliminate anxiety, but it gives you a rope to hold onto.
💼 Bonus: Totally discreet. Great for meetings, interviews, or public places.
Best for: Distraction from anxiety loops, waiting rooms, bedtime
Rating: 8/10
Pick a category and list items: dog breeds, capital cities, cereal brands. It gives your brain a structured task—engaging the frontal cortex, not the fear centers.
This one is surprisingly effective during night-time anxiety, when thoughts are circling in a loop and you need to gently change lanes.
Best for: Physical freeze, adrenaline spikes, mental fog
Rating: 7.5/10
Emotion lives in the body. Shaking out your arms, standing up, or walking around the block helps metabolize that stuck energy.
Don’t underestimate gentle movement. It tells the body: “We’re not trapped.”
Best for: Bedtime panic, general anxiety, trauma recovery
Rating: 7/10
Start at your toes and mentally check in all the way up: “I feel my feet on the ground. My legs are warm. My hands are unclenched.” It’s meditative, but more active than classic mindfulness.
Anchoring phrases like “I’m safe. I’m present. I’m in my body.” can enhance the effect.
Best for: Foggy dissociation, emotional shutdown, brain freeze
Rating: 6.5/10
Sharp flavors wake up the sensory system and pull you back online. Not always convenient, but can be a lifesaver in a subtle spiral.
🍋 Caution: May not work well if your anxiety already includes nausea.
Best for: Chronic stress, PTSD, sensory overload
Rating: 6/10
Imagine yourself in a calming location—down to the texture, sound, scent. Visualization activates calming neural pathways, but only works if you’ve practiced it before you need it.
It’s not always effective mid-panic, but helpful as a proactive habit.
Best for: Emotional intensity, racing thoughts
Rating: 5.5/10
Phrases like “This will pass” or “I am grounded, I am safe” can be soothing, especially when linked with breathing. But they need to feel authentic. Repetition without belief can feel flat.
Not the tool, but the willingness to pause and notice.
Your nervous system doesn’t want logic in a crisis—it wants safety. Grounding techniques work when they meet your body where it is, without asking it to be anywhere else.
As trauma therapist Resmaa Menakem says: “The body always leads. The mind follows.”
Grounding won’t solve your problems. It won’t erase trauma. But it gives you a foothold. A way to stay with yourself when the moment gets stormy.
In a culture obsessed with thinking our way out of everything, grounding brings us back to something far more radical:
