Grounding exercises are related to mindfulness. Mindfulness is a therapeutic principle that encourages you stay in the present moment, focus, and try not to be overwhelmed by situations out of your control. Mindfulness is a beneficial intervention for recovery and positive mental health.

Grounding exercises are meant to keep you in the present moment. This can be especially helpful for your recovery. Cravings and urges tend to occur in the early stages of recovery, although cravings can come to anyone in recovery. Grounding exercises can also help you stay focused when you experience stress, disappointments, or other negative emotions.

There are several different types of grounding exercises that you can try. Here are a few to try:

1- Breathing. Paying careful attention to your breathing can help you stay aware and focused on the present. When you engage in breathing exercises, you stay aware of your body and breath. Breathing exercises can be as simple as taking 10-20 breaths and paying careful attention to the sound and sensation of your breathing.

2- Wash your face with cold water is another way to redirect your emotions. The point of this exercise is to slow your thoughts, and focus only on the sensation of the cool water on your face.

3- Self talk can be used as a grounding technique in several ways. Anxiety occurs when you become overwhelmed with your current emotions and situation. When you face a stressful situation and your mind starts to wander, use self talk. You can do this in several ways:

• Tell yourself where you are presently
• Tell yourself who you are and what you are doing presently i.e. My name is _____ and I am at home. I ate ____ for breakfast and I am okay
• Tell yourself out loud, to not worry about the future which you can’t control

4- Use a distraction device. Some people wear a rubber band on their wrists and snap it when the need to ground themselves. This is not meant to cause pain, but to redirect yourself to the present. You can also use a fidget cube or fidget spinner to help you ground yourself to the present moment.  

At The Kimberly Center, we care about your recovery. Contact us now at 855-4-KCENTER to learn more about what addiction treatment involves. We are committed to helping you or your loved one stop the cycle of addiction with education and treatment. At the Kimberly Center, you can trust that you are in safe hands.