GROUNDING EXERCISES  
                                                                                   (adapted from http://www.peirsac.org/peirsacui/er/educational_resources10.pdf ) 
                                                                                                      Why Does It Work? 
                 What Is It?                                              
                                                                                                       
                  Grounding is a technique                                                            Grounding uses simple senses or information to get our THINKING CAP (or 
                  that helps keep someone in                                                          CEREBRAL CORTEX) turned back on, and tuned back in.  This relaxes the 
                  the present. Grounding                                                              ‘LIZARD BRAIN’ (or LIMBIC SYSTEM/AMYGDALA) and helps to turn off 
                  exercises help reorient a                                                           feelings of ANXIOUS FEELINGS (or FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE).  
                  person to the here-and-                                                              
                  now and in                                                                           
                  reality. Grounding skills 
                  can be helpful in managing 
                  overwhelming feelings or 
                  intense anxiety. They help 
                  someone to regain their 
                  mental focus from an often 
                  intensely emotional state. 
                   
                  2 Methods for Grounding 
                                                      
                              1 - Turn On Your 
                                         SENSES                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                      (SENSORY 
                                 AWARENESS) 
                              2 - Turn On Your 
                                     THINKING 
                                   (COGNITIVE 
                                 AWARENESS) 
      SENSORY AWARENESS STRATEGIES                               COGNITIVE AWARENESS STRATEGIES 
        5-4-3-2-1 Grounding                                      Focus your brain on the PRESENT with 
             See 5 Things                                        these questions: 
             Touch 4 Things                                           Where am I?  
             Hear 3 Things                                            What is today?  
             Smell 2 Things                                           Is it warm or cold out? 
             Taste 1 Thing                                            What is the date?  
                                                                      What is the month?  
       Anxiety likes to occupy our upper body, so                     What is the year?  
       focus on how your lower body feels to shift                    How old am I?  
       balance your awareness!                                        What season is it? 
            How do your middle toes feel?  How do your               What am I wearing? 
             knees feel?                                         Get your CEREBRAL CORTEX working 
            Press your feet into the ground.  Wiggle your       with these tricks: 
             toes.                                                    Count backwards from 20 slowly  
            Visualize anxious energy as a colour and picture         Sing Happy Birthday slowly  
             it moving down your body and out your toes               Do some simple math questions or practice your 
             each time you exhale.                                     multiplication tables 
       How about …                                                    Spell your full first, middle and last names 
            Look around your surroundings, notice details.            slowly 
            Hold a pillow, stuffed animal or a ball.                 Think through the lyrics of your favourite song – 
            Place a cool cloth on your face, or hold                  Can you remember all the words?  Can you do it 
             something cool such as a water bottle.                    backwards? 
            Listen to soothing music                                 Go through the names of all your family 
            Focus on someone’s voice or a neutral                     members – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins 
             conversation.