Grounding Techniques for Trauma

Grounding techniques are simple exercises that bring your attention back to the present moment, using your senses, your body or your thinking mind, when trauma memories, flashbacks, panic or numbness pull you away from it. They do not erase what happened, but they can help your nervous system notice that you are here, now, and safe enough in this moment to steady yourself.

For people living with the effects of trauma, the past does not always stay in the past. A smell, a sound, a tone of voice or a date on the calendar can bring a rush of fear, a feeling of being back in the event, or a sense of being far away from your own body. Grounding is one of the first tools many trauma counsellors teach, because it gives you something practical to do in those moments. This article explains what grounding is, offers a range of techniques to try, and describes how grounding fits into trauma counselling.

What Grounding Is and Why It Helps

When something reminds you of a traumatic experience, your body can react as though the danger is happening again. Heart rate rises, breathing gets fast and shallow, muscles tense, and thinking narrows. Some people swing the other way and go numb, foggy or disconnected, which is often called dissociation. Both are protective responses. They are not signs of weakness or of "not coping."

Grounding works by giving your attention something concrete and neutral to hold in the present: what you can see in the room, the texture of a chair, the feeling of your feet on the floor. The US National Center for PTSD notes that "the grounding technique may be useful in addressing intrusive thoughts and flashbacks related to a prior traumatic event," with the aim of helping a person "focus on the current situation" rather than on events in their own head (National Center for PTSD, Strategies: PTSD in Others).

Closer to home, the BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health describes grounding activities in its trauma-informed practice materials this way: "For clients, they can help to manage a trauma response, increase feelings of safety, and support the development of the skills needed to begin healing" (Grounding Activities and Trauma-Informed Practice, BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, 2018).

Sensory Grounding Techniques

Sensory techniques use what is around you right now. They are often the easiest place to start, because they do not require you to calm your thoughts first.

5-4-3-2-1

Slowly name, out loud or in your head:

• 5 things you can see. Be specific: "a blue mug with a chip in the handle."
• 4 things you can touch. Notice the temperature and texture.
• 3 things you can hear. Traffic, a fridge humming, rain on the window.
• 2 things you can smell.
• 1 thing you can taste.

If you lose count, that is fine. The point is the noticing, not getting the numbers right.

Temperature and texture

Hold something cold, such as an ice cube or a cold drink, or run your hands under cool water. Rub your palms together until they feel warm. Strong but safe physical sensations can cut through panic quickly.

A grounding object

Some people carry a small object, such as a smooth stone, a ring or a piece of fabric, to hold when they start to feel pulled away. Over time, the object itself can become a cue for "I am here."

Body-Based Grounding Techniques

Body-based techniques work directly with the physical side of a trauma response.

Feet on the floor

Press your feet firmly into the floor. Notice the pressure through your heels and the balls of your feet. If you are sitting, notice where the chair supports your back and legs. Let the floor and the chair take some of your weight.

Slow, longer out-breaths

Breathe in gently through your nose, then breathe out a little more slowly than you breathed in. A longer out-breath tends to support the body in settling. Counting breaths, for example counting each out-breath up to ten, gives the mind something steady to follow.

The butterfly hug

Cross your arms over your chest so that each hand rests on the opposite upper arm, then tap gently, left and right, for a minute or two while you breathe. Many people find the rhythm soothing.

Orienting

Let your eyes move slowly around the room, resting on whatever catches your attention. Turn your head as well as your eyes. This is a simple way of letting your nervous system take in that the space around you is not the place where the trauma happened.

Mental Grounding Techniques

Mental techniques use your thinking mind to anchor you in the present.

• Say where and when you are. "My name is ___. I am ___ years old. Today is ___. I am in my kitchen in Victoria."
• Categories. Name as many dog breeds, colours, or streets in your neighbourhood as you can.
• Describe an everyday task in detail. Talk yourself through making a cup of tea, step by step.
• A kind sentence. Repeat a short phrase such as "That was then. This is now. I am safe in this moment."

Making Grounding Work for You

Not every technique works for everyone, and some can backfire. Closing your eyes may feel unsafe if the dark brings memories back. Focusing on breathing can make some people more anxious. A technique involving touch may not suit you if touch is connected to your trauma. It is completely fine to skip anything that does not feel right.

A few things tend to help:

• Practise when you are calm. Grounding is much easier to reach for in a hard moment if you have practised it on an ordinary day.
• Have more than one option. A sensory, a body and a mental technique give you choices depending on where you are.
• Write your list down. Keep it in your phone or wallet, because it can be hard to remember options when you are overwhelmed.
• Start early. Grounding tends to work best when you notice the first signs of being pulled away, not at the peak.

Grounding can also help at night, when trauma symptoms often get louder. If sleep is a struggle, our article on the connection between sleep and anxiety has more ideas.

When Grounding Is Not Enough

Grounding is a coping skill. It helps you get through difficult moments, but it is not a treatment for the underlying effects of trauma on its own. If flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, constant alertness, numbness or shame are shaping your daily life, it may be time to talk with a counsellor. If you are unsure what you are experiencing, our article on PTSD vs complex PTSD explains the difference.

If you feel unsafe right now, please do not wait. If your safety is at immediate risk, call 9-1-1. For suicide crisis support anywhere in Canada, call or text 9-8-8. Our crisis and emergency resources are always available on the contact page.

How Grounding Fits Into Trauma Counselling

In trauma counselling, grounding is usually part of the early work. Before exploring painful memories, it helps to build a set of skills that let you stay within a range where you can think and feel at the same time. A counsellor can help you find which techniques suit you, practise them in session, and notice your own early warning signs.

At Dawn Cox Counselling, PTSD and complex PTSD therapy is trauma-informed and paced around your sense of safety. Dawn draws on body-based approaches such as Somatic Experiencing, which pays close attention to the physical side of trauma responses, alongside other approaches that fit your goals. There is no fixed timeline, and you stay in charge of what you talk about and when.

Dawn Cox is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC #3555) offering sessions in person in Victoria, BC and online across Canada. This article is general information, not individual advice. If you would like to talk about whether trauma counselling could help, learn more about PTSD and complex PTSD therapy or contact Dawn Cox Counselling.